Severide's Girl
by zouzou816
Summary: With Matt and Severide at each others throats, with 51 in danger, who will they turn to? Will Casey go to great measures to ensure his friendship with Severide? What happens when a familiar face comes back with a big secret? How will 51 make it? Kelly Severide/OC
1. Chapter 1- The Trauma

**Hey everyone! My name is Zouzou816. This is my fifth story on this website and my 4****th**** Chicago Fire fan fiction.**

**I am totally in love with the show and I love KELLY SEVERIDE! Taylor Kinney is awesome and I am totally in love with him. This story is totally Severide centric. **

**It will have an OC of my choosing. Please feel free to read my other stories. I am a student so I will try my best to keep updating as soon as possible. I don't know anything about medical/firefighting so please bare with me!**

**I hope you all enjoy and please review!**

**?**

**Chapter 1-The Trauma **

**Part of this chapter is with Credit to: **SocialShay3

_**Pilot Flashback**_

"_Yo Severide, how soon until you can take Darden off my hands?" Casey asked over the radio on the way to 51's first call of the day. "Andy makes Squad the day after I am no longer in charge!" Severide replied with a laugh. _

"_Darden back out!" Casey ordered, just as Andy gained entry into the home through the window. Severide then radioed to Casey that there was no vent in the back. Casey panicked when he realized that Andy was already in the house. _

_Before Casey could react, he was almost engulfed by a huge fireball through the window Darden just went through. Casey looked up and instantly realized what had just happened to his friend. Andy is dead. He was really gone. There was nothing more he could do._

Casey walked into the firehouse and straight to the locker room. He just stared at the empty locker next to his of his fallen friend. "I just can't look at this anymore!" a frustrated Casey says to himself as he proceeds to clean out Andy's still filled locker. It just brought back bad memories.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Severide asked as he walked into the locker room to find his fellow Firehouse 51 Lieutenant. "I can't look at Andy's locker anymore. It just brings back too many bad memories. I was thinking of calling Heather later" Casey informed.

"How is Heather? She won't talk to me" Severide replied. He was pissed. "As good as could be expected I guess. She's just dealing with this" Casey said. "Just let me know if she decides to come by here, so I can make myself scarce" Severide replied as he took his leave from the locker room. Talking about Andy and his death was not a good subject for Kelly and Matt.

"You know, I don't know why Heather doesn't talk to me, since Darden was with you when it happened, you put him through that window" Severide argued as he stopped and turned toward Casey. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Casey countered. "I am saying that this whole thing seems like more your fault than mine!" Severide accused.

"I…" Casey started, but was cut off by Severide. He was just too mad to let it go. "Then tell me why the hell is Heather blaming me for this?" Severide yelled, clearly about ready to burst with fury, and not even giving Casey a chance to respond to his last decree.

"How could you say this was my fault?" Casey asked in a raised voice, gathering the attention of some curious onlookers, who always like to watch a good Casey/Severide scuffle. "Seems like a turf war…" Dawson said, turning to Shay as they moved to watch the fight commence.

"You know how this always goes, they are just marking their territory" Shay said smiling. "I feel like it shouldn't be, but it's mildly amusing!" Dawson said, unable to hold back a smile. Everyone knew that Severide and Casey were always at ends. "They both need to release some steam about the whole Darden thing, they are both hurting and expect to take out their pain on each other" Shay said.

"You know, that Kelly knew Andy since kindergarten, so this wasn't just a normal friendship, they've known each other for a long time" Shay informed. "I didn't know that…" Dawson replied. "This is really hurting Severide, it's very hard for him for two reasons. First, because his childhood friend just died, and second, because Heather blames himself solely for what happened and won't talk to him at all" Shay replied.

"Neither wants to come to grips with or face what just happened" Dawson said. "Boy I hope we get a call, they need some actual work to calm themselves down" Shay replied. On a call, the boys worked together. They forget their personal problems and focus on the situation at hand.

"Tell me! Tell me right now why Heather blames me, and only me for this! Why?" Severide boldly yelled. "Can we just drop this, I don't want to talk about it, much less argue with you about it!" Casey pleads. He didn't want to keep bringing up the same stuff.

"Any other day, I would continue to argue, but I don't have the energy for it right now, so it's your lucky day!" Severide hisses before exiting the room. "Severide! Casey! My office now!" Boden ordered in a slightly angry tone.

"Damn it!" Casey softly curses to himself at the same time Severide whined, "Not now!" he moaned. "What the hell has been going on between you two today?" Boden questioned after dragging both his lieutenants into his office.

"As if you didn't hear us?" Severide bellowed.

"This animosity, it's got to stop! You are both supposed to be leaders here. Lead by example! I can't have this in my house. First you were at each other's necks because of Michelina and now this. I can't have this in my house so you need to fix it. We all lost Andy that day. Everyone is hurting. You can't let your personal side of things tear this house apart. I won't let you so get yourselves straight. Do I make myself clear?" Boden announced.

Kelly and Matt just shoot each other a look at the mention of Mia. No one and I do mean NO ONE ever dares bring her up in their presence. It was just an unspoken rule at the firehouse.

"This has nothing to do with her" Severide said before running out of the office. He was pissed to point of steam coming out of his ears. _Why the hell would the chief bring her into this?_ He thought to himself.

Michelina Patrizia De Luca is a very sore subject for Kelly Severide. He didn't talk about her and expected everyone else to follow his example. He walked out and to the Squad table. He picked up some cards and motioned for the guys to join him. He needed to get his mind off Mia.

Casey walked into the kitchen and noticed Otis hanging out with the rest of the guys. He was supposed to be giving a tour. "Otis, what happened to your tour?" he asked. He needed to get his mind off his fight with Severide.

"Our new Candidate took over" he replied with a smirk. He was officially one of the guys now that the house got a new candidate. He didn't have to do the grunt work anymore.

Casey looked on curious. He didn't know they were getting a new candidate. The new firefighter never came to introduce himself, so he had no idea who he was. He went out into the garage to examine what was going on.

He walked in on the Candidate and the tour half way through. The new guy was explaining one of the tools on their uniform.

"So this is called a PASS alarm. If a firefighter is totally still for more than 18 seconds, a loud alarm goes off until he/she moves again" the new candidate explained as he shook the alarm so the ringing sounded. The kids smiled and covered their ears. "That's loud" one of the kids exclaimed.

"This house is really special because it has a Rescue Squad. Squad 3 serves as a big piece of this city, they are experts at water rescue, and extraction, pretty much everything, and they're like the best of the best" Mills said as the pointed to the Squad table. Severide turned and smiled at the kids.

"Are they like the Marines or the Navy Seals?" this one little boy asked. Mills smiled and let out a laugh. "That's new one for me, but yeah I guess you can say that" he replied. The light in the little boy's eyes as he looked at Kelly and Squad 3 could shine a mile away.

"Are you with them?" this little girl asked.

"I plan to be. My father was on Squad years ago. I plan to follow in his footsteps" Mills replied.

"Mills, right?" Casey interrupted the tour. All eyes turned to him as Mills snapped to attention. "Yes sir" he replied.

"Last to show, first to go. Just ask the Rescue Squad" Casey quipped, therefore initiating another argument with Severide. He couldn't just let it go, the way the new candidate was going on and on about Squad.

"You Truck guys do such a good job getting ready for us, why would we want to take that away from you?" Severide remained calm and collected. He wasn't going to let Casey's comment affect him.

"Kids, you should know, they make the rescue helmets extra big to fit their heads inside" Casey added fuel to the fire.

"There are two types of firefighters. Those who are on Squad and those who wish they were on Squad" Severide quipped. He wasn't going to let Casey have the last word, no way.

"Ooooohhh…" Casey pretended to tremble in his boots.

Mills continued to take the kids through the firehouse, leaving the two lieutenants to themselves. Once the kids were out of sight, Severide rounded on Casey. "I bet I get an application from him by the end of the month!" Severide teased.

"He wants you, you can have him" Casey replied as he walked out. He didn't want to deal with Severide anymore.

'**Truck 81, Ambulance 61, Battalion 25, Squad 3…Warehouse Fire….' **

Severide and the guys grabbed their gear and ran towards their perspective trucks. "You good Lt? That seemed pretty rough" Capp stated. The guys could tell there was something up with Severide.

"I am good. I just need to go and clear my head with this rescue" he replied. Kelly and Matt needed to get their heads together.

The scene was a mess. It was crazy. The guys took their orders from Chief Boden and got to work. They knew what they had to do.

"Hey Capp, you found anyone yet?" Severide asked over his radio as he searched the warehouse.

"Not yet, this place is huge. Have you checked in with Matt?" Capp replied.

"Casey knows how to do his job. He's got more man power than me. He's fine" Severide retorted. The last thing he wanted to talk about was Casey. He had his own men to worry about.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Capp asked his lieutenant.

"I am fine. We just has a fight, it's nothing new. I'm sure you heard" Severide replied.

"I think we all heard. I think that everyone on the block heard" Capp said as he tried not to smile. They were always like that. It was nothing new when it came to Severide and Casey.

Severide was really annoyed with anything that had to do with his relationship with Casey. "Guys, I found 2 victims" they heard suddenly over the radio.

"Alive?" Kelly asked his men.

"Barely" Mark replied.

"Shay! Dawson!" Kelly called over the radio

"Dawson here" Gabby replied.

"Got 2 victims, they are in pretty bad shape. It's really bad in here. Might want to call for another rig" Severide said giving his descriptions about of the victims.

"We'll be ready, Shay's radioing for another rig" Dawson informed. They were getting slammed. It was a mess of victims.

"Great! We'll be out in a few" Kelly replied before rejoining his team.

Shay and Dawson saw Kelly coming out with another victim, his team behind him.

"We got this, you get the other one" Dawson directed the other paramedics of the second rig. The paramedics ran out to help the other Squad members.

"Damn, I'm not getting a pulse" Shay informs as she tries another spot to find one. She was not giving up on this guy.

"Still nothing" she relied after a minute.

"I'm calling it" Shay said.

Dawson nodded, "I'll call it in to lakeshore" she replied. She needed to inform them they were bringing in a DOA.

_**Back at the house**_

Chief had called everyone into one of the conference rooms. They only did that when something serious was going on. Kelly was not in the mood. They had a rough shift and he was still pissed at Casey.

"Today marks one month since Darden's Death" Chief stated as he looked around the room at all his men and women.

"Oh wonderful…"Casey mumbled sarcastically.

"Just what I need" Severide chimed in as well.

"Like I said before, we all lost him, but we can't do anything about it now, so it's best to learn from our mistakes and move on" Chief exclaimed. He knew this was hard for everyone especially his lieutenants.

Half way through the meeting, Severide had enough. He just walked out. He was pissed off. He needed to blow off steam, so he went to shower. Try and relieve some tension in his muscles.

He had just got out of the shower when Casey pushed his way into the bathroom. "Why the hell did you walk out of the meeting?" he asked.

"Just couldn't take it anymore. Why do you care? Besides, it's not my mistake to deal with. It's yours" Severide quipped back.

"Jeez Kelly just drop it already. I know okay. You blame me for everything. I am the worst firefighter to ever walk through these doors right? Well I am tired of you pushing it in my face all the time. I was just asking about you. Like a decent human being, you know what a nice person does. Why don't you try dropping the attitude" Casey went off on him.

Severide just stood there staring at Matt not really knowing how to reply. He's been giving Casey grief for a month. He's always just stood back and taken it. He's never expected him to stand up to him and actually blow up at him like that.

Before Severide could come up with a reply, the alarm went off signaling a call.

**Truck 81, Ambulance 61, Squad 3, and Battalion 25…Apartment fire…**

Everyone jumped into action. Casey jumped into the back of Truck 81 and suited up. He needed to focus and get his head in the game. He needed to forget about Severide, Darden and that whole situation. He needed to focus on this call.

"Hermann with me, we'll clear the main floor and work our way up. Cruz, Mills get on the roof and give us a vent!" Casey ordered.

Hermann followed behind him in the building. They were clearing floor by floor. Once they got to the third floor, they heard the chief in their helmet radio, "the smoke is rising. Go up" he ordered. Casey reached behind him and motioned for Hermann to follow him up. They made their way up as fast as they could.

On the stairs, the floor caved, taking Matt and Hermann with it. "Chief, Casey and Hermann are down. They are stuck" Cruz announced. Before Boden could respond, they heard the scariest sound of a firefighter ever called her; their pass alarms sounded.

"Squad 3 is arriving on scene" Boden informed.

Kelly jumped out of the Squad as soon as Tony rolled up. He walked over to Chief Boden for his assignment. "We've got two down. The stairs caved in from the main level. It's Casey and Hermann" Chief said.

Kelly's eyes squeezed shut. Of course his best friend was the one down. It didn't help that he got into it with Casey before the call. That only made things ten times worse. "We need to get Casey and Hermann. Let's go NOW!" Severide ordered his team as he storms inside ahead of his own team.

He needed to get his brother. He was Severide's best friend. He needed him in his life. He couldn't make it without Casey. He couldn't lose them. "Whoa…" Capp started to say as he started at the gaping hole before him.

"HERMANN! CASEY!" he yelled

"Get me ropes! I'm going down!" Severide barks, clearly showing his worry for Casey and Hermann. He went to Casey first. He needed help getting Hermann up. He wanted to make sure Casey was okay. Then he could focus on Hermann.

"CASEY!" Severide yelled, trying to rouse him. "Damn, what happened?" he asked, slightly confused, but coherent. "Good you're okay…" Severide said before he made his way over to Hermann. His PASS alarm went off and kept ringing.

"Capp! Hadley! Get ready to pull Hermann out, we need to work on getting him" Severide yelled as he and Casey went to help Hermann. He was still unconscious. They slowly flipped him over and panicked. "Dammit! He doesn't have air" Casey yelled.

Kelly tore the mask off his face and put it over Hermann's mouth and nose so he could breathe. "Breathe Hermann" he said.

Once he got some air, his eyes popped open and he gasped. "We'll get you out" Casey reassured as he helped Severide secure the harness around him. Once it was in place, Kelly gave his team the signal. "Pull him up" he ordered over the radio.

Once Hermann was up and safe, it was Casey's turn. They grabbed a table from the corner and pushed it in front of the hole. Severide helped Casey up first. Once he was on stable ground, he put his hand out for Severide. The table fell beneath his feet when he grabbed his friend's hand.

Casey struggled a little to pull him up, but the rest of his guys came to help their lieutenants. Once they were both on stable ground, they just laid there for a second taking in the reality of the situation. They almost lost the other. They almost lost another brother in uniform.

Once they were out of the fire, Kelly got Casey to the gurney. "Casey get to the hospital and get checked out" Boden ordered before they even had a chance to argue. He knew that he wouldn't go electively. He needed to be ordered.

"I'm coming with you" he said.

"You can't. We are taking Hermann and Casey to Lakeshore" Gabby said.

"Severide, let Dawson and Shay do their jobs. He'll be alright" Chief Boden said.

They rushed him to the hospital. Scott was waiting in the ER. He needed to be there in case they needed to get him on the operating table. "What do we got?" he asked. "He fell through the stairs. He was without oxygen for at least 5 minutes before Squad got him out. Possible cracked rib and mild smoke inhalation" Dawson relayed the vitals and explained the situation.

"Okay, let's get him into bay 3. Order a CBC, blood panel, cultures, chest x-ray and MRI. I want him on a c-pac to help his lungs NOW! LET'S MOVE!" he ordered.

The nurses and residents scrambled. This is one of their own and he was hurt. Within the hour, firefighters from Station 51 started arriving at the hospital. Kelly walked in as Chief Boden was talking to Scott. "Severide, this is Scott Clemmens. He's Casey and Hermann's doctor" Chief Boden introduced.

Kelly looked him up and down. He didn't know this guy. There was only one doctor in this hospital that he could trust and he would make sure Matt and Hermann got the best care possible. "How is he?" he asked.

"We ordered blood work, a CBC, a CT and MRI" he informed. "We think he has a possible cracked rib and some smoke inhalation. With the lack of oxygen to his brain, we are afraid of possible brain damage. I have him on an oxygen mask to help his lungs. We are worried about damaged lungs" he said.

Kelly nodded, "no offense doc, I am sure you are great at what you do, but I only trust on doctor in this place and I want her on this case" he said.

Scott nodded, "that's fine. You are allowed a second opinion" he said not knowing that his second opinion would be his girlfriend.

"DR. DE LUCA TO TRAUMA 3. DR. DE LUCA TO TRAUMA 3"

Michelina grabbed her stethoscope, put the chart down at the nurse's station and took off in the direction of the emergency room. She was in her office going over charts when she heard the page. They only called her when it was bad and the doctor needed a consult.

She walked up to the desk and grabbed the chart. "Where am I going? Who paged me?" she asked. The nurse directed her to Bay 3. She walked over and noticed Scott standing there talking to two people. They were blocked by the curtain so she didn't see their faces.

She walked over and stood by Scott. "Dr. Clemmens, I got the page. What can I help you with?" she asked. She looked into the room and froze when she saw Matt Casey sitting on the gurney. Bypassing Scott, she walked in and right over to Matt.

"Casey, what the hell happened?" she asked.

"He's got suppressed lungs. We have him on a c-pac to let his lungs rest. He fell through some stairs. He was without oxygen for at least 5 minutes. We are worried about brain damage. He's got a possible cracked rib and some smoke inhalation. We already ordered everything. We are waiting for the test results" Scott replied.

Mia nodded and took off her stethoscope. She started her own exam of Matthew Casey. She couldn't believe he was on her table. She always thought he and Kelly were invincible. She didn't want to think about anything happening to them.

Once she was done with her exam, she put her stethoscope away and turned towards the resident. "Turn his oxygen up to 100%. I don't want him in pain, so I am prescribing Toradol every 4 hours for the pain" she said. Before either Scott or the resident could protest, she walked out of the room, "let's go update the family" she said.

Scott motioned for the resident to hold off on the Toradol. It was obvious that Mia knew the patient. He just didn't know how. He needed to know if she could be objective. Deep down, Michelina knew the whole firehouse would be waiting for Matt. They were brothers and sisters. They truly were a family.

She was nervous about seeing Kelly again. She didn't know how he would react to seeing her; especially if he found out she was Matt's doctor. She didn't know he requested her to be paged.

All the guys jumped up when they saw the doctors approaching. Severide locked his eyes on Mia. She looked nervous but he knew she was trying to hide it. She would focus on the medical issues at hand.

"What's going on doc?" Chief Boden asked.

"We are waiting for the test results. We have him on an oxygen mask for his lungs. They are severely affected from the lack of oxygen and having to work extra hard to pump it through his system for those 5 minutes" Scott said.

Severide snapped his gaze to the trauma doctor. He didn't appreciate the accusation. "We got to him the fastest we could. I got my mask on him as soon as I had him" he informed. Mia snapped to look at Kelly when she heard he took off his mask while in the building, not that it surprised her. That's the kind of guy he was, selfless.

"I am sure you did, but in the meantime, his brain was without oxygen. His lungs had to work 10x harder to pump oxygen to his heart, which in turn had to work extra hard to spread it around to the rest of his body. We won't know for sure until the tests come back, but our main concern is the brain damage. If he developed severe hypoxia, then we would have to remove the damaged brain cells. If his lungs have severe damage, he may need a lung transplant. He's got a long road ahead of him" Scott replied very bleakly.

The firefighters of Firehouse 51 were saddened and grief stricken. They felt helpless. This is not what they wanted to hear about their lieutenant. They didn't know what to do or how to help and that was rough for them.

Michelina was on the verge of tears, but she tried her hardest to hold it in. This is her friend that's in trouble but she knew she needed to be strong for everyone. They didn't know how to handle this medical stuff. They didn't know Scott. They would look to her for support.

Kelly didn't believe what the doctor was saying. He couldn't believe it. He refused to believe that his friend was on the verge of death. He needed hope. He needed someone to be the light at the end of the tunnel and that someone was Mia.

He turned to her with a strong, emotionless face on. He needed to keep it together. "I want to hear it from her," he said to Scott before turning to Michelina, "What's the weather eye on the horizon?" he asked using their old pirates of the Caribbean reference.

Michelina looked down a minute to hide her tears and collect herself before she let out and nervous breath and faced everyone. She stepped forward and looked at all their sad, soot covered faces before stopping to land on Severide and Chief Boden at the front of the pack.

"It's not an easy road, but we all know that Casey is strong. He's been through worse than this and pulled through. He can pull through this. You all need to keep believing in your lieutenant and praying he makes it through this and we'll do everything in our power to bring him back to you" she said with conviction.

Kelly smirked and nodded. That's all he needed to know. He turned to Scott. "You do what you need to do to get him through this" he said.

The resident ran up to them, "Excuse me doctors, the test results are back and Lt. Casey is severely agitated. He isn't letting anyone near him" she said.

Michelina went into supervisor mode and snapped her attention to the resident. "He is in pain and he is confused. I told you to give him Toradol for the pain. Why hasn't he gotten any?" she asked the resident.

Dr. Winters was scared of her attending. They didn't call her Medusa for nothing. "I'm sorry Dr. De Luca, but Dr. Clemmens told us to hold off on the pain meds until the brain CT came back" she said.

It was only then did Michelina turn to Scott. She knew that he had to be confused. It was true she owed him an explanation, but now was not the time. They needed to focus on being doctors right now. "Why would you override my order? You asked for my help and my consult and then you go and disregard what I say?" she was pissed off.

He had no right to do that. "I didn't ask for your consult, he did" Scott said pointing to Kelly. Michelina turned to Severide surprised. She didn't think he would ever want to see her again.

"I need someone I…we need someone we trust on this. Matt is one of us and you get that. He doesn't. Please, I don't care about our past or what happened right now. Just save him. We can't lose anyone else today" Kelly begged.

Michelina could see and feel the emotion behind his words. She knew that was hard for him. Kelly Severide didn't show emotion. He tried to downplay everything. Today was different. He couldn't downplay this. He was close to losing his only other best friend and she couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't.

She nodded, "Okay" she said before getting down to business. She rounded the residents and gave them their barking orders for the case. He needed surgery so they were going to prep him and ship him off to the OR. She would deal with Scott later. Now she needed to focus her energy on Matt and nothing else.

The surgery was a rough one. There was a lot of damaged tissue they needed to clear. "So, are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?" Scott asked as calmly as possible. Michelina glanced at him before glancing at everyone in the room looking at them, waiting for her answer.

"Not now" she said.

They left it at that. There was nothing else to get into. She knew they were in for one hell of night though. She had a lot of explaining to do.

In the waiting room everyone was on edge. This was really rough for them. Everyone was quiet. They didn't know what to say or how to deal with this.

"How long has it been?" Mills asked.

"2 hours" Gabby replied with dried tears coating her face.

Mills nodded and staid quiet.

"All I know is that I am glad Mia is taking care of him. She'll make sure he's okay" Hermann said.

"She sounded pretty confident" Capp added.

"Of course she did. She's one of us. She knows how hard this is and she is an excellent surgeon. She is going to make sure he pulls through" Hermann agreed.

Kelly had enough. He got up and walked away ignoring the looks on his way out. He walked over to the vending machine and braced his hands against it so he could lean on it. After a second he got frustrated with the situation and punched the machine and let out a frustrated growl.

"Feel better?" he heard from his right.

Kelly turned and stood up when he saw Michelina's Brother Johnny watching him. "What are you doing here man?" Kelly asked.

"I came to pick Michelina up for dinner. Her car is in the shop and she's been working herself like crazy" he explained.

"Yeah well, I just added to her stress level. I asked her to help save Matt" he said.

Johnny knew what that meant. His sister was going to take it personal because Kelly asked her specifically.

On the way back to the waiting room, Kelly explained what happened. Johnny is a detective, so he understands the demands of the job. By the time they made it back to the waiting room, Johnny had his arm wrapped around Kelly's shoulder.

"Don't worry, you know my sister. She is going to work her ass off to make sure Matt is going to be okay. She'll get him back. If anyone can do it, she can" he said.

Kelly nodded in understanding. He knew Johnny was right. If anyone could pull off a miracle with a critical condition patient, it's Michelina. She's stubborn like that.

Another hour passed before the surgery finished. Mia and Scott cleaned off and made their way back to the waiting room to update everyone.

The guys jumped up when they saw the doctors walk back into the waiting room with blood all over their scrubs. Kelly watched Mia and could tell she was exhausted. He knew it was rough. She looked completely worn out.

"So, what's the verdict Lee?" Capp asked.


	2. Chapter 2- Kitty Kat

**Hey Everyone! I hope you are enjoying this story so far.**

**More Firehouse/ Mia/Kelly/Scott drama to come!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK**

_Previously…._

Another hour passed before the surgery finished. Mia and Scott cleaned off and made their way back to the waiting room to update everyone.

The guys jumped up when they saw the doctors walk back into the waiting room with blood all over their scrubs. Kelly watched Mia and could tell she was exhausted. He knew it was rough. She looked completely worn out.

"So, what's the verdict Lee?" Capp asked.

**MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM**

**Chapter 2**

She paused a second to collect herself. It took her a minute, but she composed herself enough to deliver a clear diagnosis. "He's out of surgery and we were able to get the subdural hematoma. He's in recovery. We have him on a c-pac for his lungs and he's going to have to stay on that for a few days. He can only have 2 visitors so we don't overwhelm him. Dr. Clemmens wants to keep him here for a week or two just to make sure he's doing okay" she said.

They all nodded and just took in the information. "Are there any questions for me before I go finish my charts?" she asked. She needed to get out of there to compose herself. She was trying so hard to keep everything all together.

They all just shook their heads and praised her with gratitude. They were just happy he was going to be okay. "So he's going to be okay kitty cat?" Kelly asked.

Michelina smiled and nodded, "he should be just fine within a few days." She said. He nodded and watched as she put her head down and ran down the hallway. She barged into her office and shut the door. She fell onto the floor by the side of her desk and burst into tears.

Severide looked at Johnny for some sort of permission. Johnny crossed his arms across his chest and nodded. He knew Kelly would take care of her.

Severide nodded and took off down the hallway. He stopped in front of her office and could hear her crying from the doorway.

He opened the door to find her sitting on the floor with her desk behind her. She looked up when the door opened. She started sobbing harder when she saw Kelly. He was in his uniform still. He shut the door and came and sat next to her.

He didn't want to push her. She met his gaze and just needed him. She got up on her knees and crawled in between his legs and wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her waist and just held her.

He rubbed her back up and down comfortingly. "Shsh, it'll be okay" he kept repeating to her. She pulled away after a minute and just sat on her legs across from him. "We could have lost him Kelly" she said. He nodded and pulled her into him. She just leaned down and laid her head against his chest.

"Thank you for saving him. I know it freaked you out when you saw me and then Matt on the gurney but you staid professional and gave me my best friend back. So, thank you" he said as he kissed the top of her head.

She pulled away and looked at his necklace. His mom gave it to her to give to him when he graduated from the fire academy and she did. It's a St. Florian medal. With it is a Squad medallion engraved, _'for my lieutenant, with love always and forever Mia.'_

He still wore it every day. He kept his gaze on her as he played with his necklace. She traced the medallion and placed her hand over his heart. "You know that no matter what ever happened with us, I am always going to be there for you. That's not going to change" she said finally meeting his gaze.

He smiled and placed his hand over hers on his chest and interlaced their fingers. "Always and forever kitty cat" he affirmed.

She smiled and shook her head at him. Before she could say anything else they heard a throat being cleared behind them.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Scott walked back into the lobby and over to see the firefighters with relief in their eyes. They were happy for their friend. He was still curious about how Michelina fit in with them. He knew her dad used to be a firefighter before he died, but that's about it.

He walked up to them and noticed one of them was missing. "Excuse me, Nina can you tell me where Mia is? She was supposed to meet me in the lounge for some charting" he asked the nurse. Nina knows that Michelina was with her brother in her office.

"I don't know. Sorry doc, haven't seen her" she replied giving the firefighters a look. She wanted to give her brother as much time with his ex-wife as possible. He needed it.

"I am going to check her office" he said leaving before Nina could stop him.

When he left, Capp walked over to the desk and up to Nina. "You know where he is, why didn't you say anything?" Capp asked. The rest of the firefighters were just watching and listening with smirks on their faces.

"Don't give me that. Everyone here knows that Michelina is the only one he needs right now" she said. The guys started laughing and shaking their heads. Even though she was his younger sister, Nina has always looked out for Kelly.

Scott was at Michelina's door when he saw them. She was in between the firefighters legs, with her hand on his chest and their fingers interlaced and their gazes interlocked.

"UHMM" he cleared his throat.

At the sound, Mia turned to look over her shoulder and panicked when she saw Scott. She pulled away and used Kelly's knees to help her up.

Severide noticed her panic when she saw Scott. He watched her get up and held her waist as he helped her up. He watched as her scrubs top rose and saw his squad medallion with his badge number under it on her hip. He had to bow his head to hide his smirk.

They got matching tattoos on their one year anniversary. He got her zodiac with her birthday underneath and she got his squad medallion with his badge number.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked as she felt Kelly behind her.

Scott held up the charts, "I thought we were going to work on our post-ops" he said eyeing Kelly.

Michelina knew that he wanted answers and he deserved them. She had to explain, but she didn't know how. It wasn't easy to talk about.

"Sorry, I totally forgot. I just needed a minute after that surgery" she said. She completely forgot about Scott. The moment she saw Kelly her mind went blank.

"Yeah, I can see that" he replied.

Michelina could feel Kelly getting defensive behind her. She didn't want him to get into something with Scott. That's the last thing she needed that night. They had to deal with enough.

She turned and placed her hands on his chest and looked up at him. He looked down and saw the pleading in her eyes. He wouldn't start anything for her sake. He put his hand on the back of her neck and kissed her forehead before placing his forehead on hers.

"Thanks kitty cat. I'll be seeing you" he said giving her one more kiss before leaving.

Scott watched the interaction with envy. He wanted to know what the hell was going on.

Once Kelly was gone, she turned to Scott. "I don't know where to start" she said.

"From the beginning would be nice" he replied.

She nodded and sat on the edge of her desk. This was going to be interesting.

Kelly walked out Michelina's office with his eyes on her the whole time. He could tell it was hard for her to deal with everything. He didn't want to add to her stress by getting into it with the trauma doctor.

He walked back out to the lobby and saw his sister hanging out with the firefighters, her boyfriend specifically. She went and greeted him with a hug when she saw him. "I thought you were with Mia" she said.

He kissed the top of her head before moving to sit in one of the plastic chairs. He wiped a hand over his face and let out a defeated breath. "I was and it was great. She was having a hard time after Matt's surgery. We were actually getting along when the trauma doctor that helped her with Matt came in" he said.

"Yeah, that's Scott Clemmens. He's new here. Just started a few months ago. He's dating Mia. That's probably why he broke you up" she said.

Kelly looked up surprised when he heard that the guy was her boyfriend. He didn't expect her to wait for him to get his act together forever. He wanted her to be happy. That's all he ever wanted for her.

"Is she happy?" he asked his sister.

"Not like when she was with you" she replied honestly.

Kelly laughed and got up to leave with the rest of the guys. He kissed his sisters head and gave her a hug. "Love you Nina" he said before leaving.

In her office, Michelina had started telling Scott some of the history between her and Kelly. It was complicated and she wasn't going into all of it, but she wanted to touch the main points.

"So I was 6 years old when I met Kelly and his other friend Andy. We grew up together. When I was 16, my dad became the chief at Firehouse 51. I was in high school when I met Matt. We became like the 4 musketeers. We were best friends. I didn't really start liking Kelly until I was 18" she said with a smile because she remembered the day like it was yesterday. They loved teasing each other.

**KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK- Flashback-KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK**

**Kelly – 19**

**Matt- 19**

**Michelina- 18**

_Kelly had just come over to the De Luca household. He came because he heard that Michelina had a date with the quarterback of the football team._

"_Hello Kelly" Chief De Luca answered the door._

"_Hey Chief, I just came to hang out with Johnny" he explained._

_Danny De Luca knew the real reason Kelly Severide showed up at his house. He was here because of Michelina's date. Apparently, according to his son, everyone at school was talking about it._

"_Don't lie to me boy, I know you are here because of Michelina. I am counting on you to watch out for her Kelly" he said as he let the boy in._

_Kelly smiled and let out a little laugh. "You can count on it sir" he replied before making his way upstairs._

_He could hear Mia talking to herself and watched from the doorway as she scrambled around her room pulling everything out for her hair and her make-up._

"_You just need to relax Mia. Be cool" she said to herself._

"_What am I saying? He's the freaking quarterback. What the hell have I gotten myself into" she added after a minute._

_Kelly let out a little laugh, "you know talking to yourself is a psychotic sign" he said as he walked into her room._

_She turned around and put her hand to her chest. "Jesus Severide. How long have you been standing there?" she asked._

_He reclined against her backboard with his arms behind his head. "Not long" he replied._

_She shook her head and went back to fixing her hair and her make-up. She kept things simple. Her hair down in curls and her make-up light._

"_Well make some noise next time. You gave me a freaking heart attack" she said. Once she was ready, she took a minute to calm herself before joining him on her bed._

_He could tell she was nervous. She had no reason to be. She looked drop dead gorgeous and this guy was lucky to be going out with her._

_She turned to find him staring at her. She blushed and smiled, "what? Do I look okay?" she looked herself over nervously. _

_He smiled and tilted her chin towards him to look into her eyes, "you look beautiful. Jeremy is lucky to be going out with you even though I wish he wasn't" he said._

_She looked at him confused. "why?" she ignored his compliment for a minute._

"_Because it should have been me going out with you tonight" he replied._

_She looked at him stunned. She didn't know how to respond. She wasn't expecting that from him. "Kelly" she said._

_He shook his head, "sorry I kind of just dropped a bomb right there, but I need you to know how I feel Cat. I like you Kitty Cat. I was super jealous when I found out you were going out with Jeremy. I wanted to break him so bad" he started. _

_She blushed and looked away from him with a smile. "I want you to be mine Michelina. I want you be my girl" he said._

_She smiled, "Severide's girl?" she tried out._

_He smiled and nodded before leaning in. With their lips meters apart, he whispered, "Severide's girl. Always and Forever princess" before closing the gap and kissing for the first time. _

_It was least to say that she never went on her date that night._

**KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK-End Flashback-KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK**

"When we turned 21, we were married and together officially. Kelly was just starting the firehouse with Matt and Andy. Things were going good. Johnny was a street cop and loving it and I was with the man I love" she explained.

Scott just took it all in, "what happened?" he asked. Something had to happen for them to break up.

"I wanted to go medical school and become a doctor and Kelly was just starting to get interested in Squad. He wanted to make it to squad 3 just like his dad. We were young and didn't really take each other into consideration. I wanted him to get on Squad and he wanted me to be a doctor so we just decided to break up and let the other follow their dreams. We were holding each other back and I couldn't do that to him. I love him. I wasn't going to let him give up Squad for me" she said.

"You said love, as in present tense" Scott noticed.

Michelina nodded, "Scott there is something you need to understand. Firehouse 51 and the guys in it have a special place in my heart. It's like my second home. Kelly and Matt were a big part of my life. Just because we grew up and live different lives, doesn't mean I am not going to be there for them. I will always love Kelly. He was my first for everything. He was the only important thing in my life for a long time. Me loving him and being there for him or any one wearing a uniform is not going to change. So all I can tell you is take it or leave it because I am not changing" she said.

He nodded and walked over and cupped her face. "I still love you and I understand that they were a big part of your life. Everyone has a past Michelina. That's what makes you who you are and for that, I am forever grateful" he said leaning in to kiss her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a quick kiss before pulling away and grabbing her stuff. "Good because I am happy with you" she replied.

He watched her grab all her stuff. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Out to eat with Johnny. I want to grill him about Angela" she replied referring to her brother's partner. Scott laughed and nodded, "Well have fun. I'll see you later" he said as he walked out with her.

She walked up to Johnny and greeted him with a hug. He kissed her temple, "you okay?" she smiled at her older brother and nodded. "Yeah Severide helped me out" she kept it brief. Even though Scott was okay with Kelly, she didn't want to rub it in his face.

Johnny nodded in understanding and nodded to Scott. He didn't really like the guy. He thought his sister could do better. "I'll be seeing you doc" he said to him before turning to walk out.

Michelina signed out at the desk and turned to Nina, "you want me to bring you back anything?" she asked. Nina smiled and shook her head, "nah, Kelly brought me a burger and fries from Maggie's. You guys have fun. I'm going to go sit with Matt" she replied.

Michelina nodded, "Okay then. I'll be back to check on Matt in a little bit" she stated. Johnny smiled and wrapped his arm around his sisters shoulders, "see you later gorgeous" he said to Nina. She smiled and shook her head. "Bye pretty boy" she retaliated. All you could hear in response was Johnny's laughter.

They ended up going to Maggie's burger place to eat. Maggie was a friend of Michelina's from high school and she opened up a restaurant. Serves the best burgers in town.

They were eating when Johnny brought up the most avoided topic. "So is Matt really going to be okay?" he asked. He wanted to start off slow. He didn't want to just thrust the topic upon her. She would get defensive and close off. That's not what he wanted. He wanted answers.

He could see it in Kelly's eyes when Michelina walked up to them in the lobby after surgery. He still cared for his little sister. It was obvious the way he was looking at her. Scott stood no chance against Kelly Severide. Not where his sister was concerned.

"Yeah, the surgery was rough. We had a couple rough calls in the OR, but all in all I would say for that kind of damage, he is remarkably lucky" she explained from a medical aspect. There was more she wanted to get off her chest, he could tell. There was no one else for her to talk to about this.

Nina was Kelly's sister so she is biased and she couldn't talk to Kelly. Johnny was her only option. She knew he would support her and have her back no matter what. He always did when they were growing up.

"Did you know that Kelly took his mask off in the building?" she asked.

Johnny looked up from his meal surprised. He didn't know that. When he heard the call over the radio, it was very vague. He knew House 51 was involved and that someone got hurt. He didn't know it was Matt or anything else, until he got to the hospital and talked to the Chief.

"No, the call we got didn't really say much" he replied. He wanted more out of her. He knew she needed to vent. He just needed to start her off.

"Yeah, he was the first one down the hole to get Matt and Hermann. He woke Matt up first. He was okay. Then they got Hermann. His mask was cracked. Kelly took off his mask and put it on for him to breathe" she explained.

Johnny just listened and didn't say anything. He knew there was more. She wasn't finished yet. He wanted the whole story before he said anything.

"The first thing they teach you in the academy is not to take your mask off under no circumstances. He could have died of smoke inhalation. What the hell was he thinking? He knew not to take it off, but him being him he did it anyway" she ranted.

"Mia, you know that Kelly is a great firefighter. He is a born natural. He wouldn't put himself in harm's way. You know that" he tried to reassure her.

"He's stubborn. Who the hell does he have to live for Johnny? He doesn't have me anymore. Nina said he hasn't had a serious long term relationship since I left. He doesn't know about Catherine, what else is there?" she dropped her fork and held her head in her hands.

Johnny didn't know what to say. He felt for his sister. He wanted to help her, to take her pain away but he knew she needed to deal with this on her own.

"Why don't you tell him about Katie? He would be thrilled. Maybe it will give him something to live for. Something to fight for" he suggested.

Michelina let out a frustrated breath. She didn't know what to do. "I'll talk to Katie tonight" she said.

Michelina had a lot on her mind. Both Kelly and Michelina had to digest seeing each other again after all these years. It had been 6 years since they last saw each other. Kelly didn't even know that Michelina was pregnant. She found out after the divorce went through and she was already settled into her new life.

She had heard from Nina that Kelly made Squad and was genuinely happy. There was no way Michelina was going to ruin his life by jumping back into it and forcing him into committing to raise a baby. She couldn't do that to him. Not when he just reached his dreams and made Squad.

Now things were different. Her daughter was 6 years old. She is in kindergarten at school and she is starting to be her own person. Has her own opinions and questions about her dad and her family. It was time to be truthful with her.

When she got back to the hospital, she made a check on Matt. Talked to her resident Bobby and told him to keep a watchful eye on Matt before she signed out. She made her way home to find her daughter with Elena, her neighbor and one of her best friends.

She was a teacher at Katie's school, so she picked her up and watched her while Mia was on shift. They were watching Frozen for the 50ieth time when she walked in. "Mommy" Katie squealed when Michelina walked in. She dropped off her bag by the door and knelt down and grabbed her daughter in a hug.

"Hi princess, how was school today?" she asked plopping on the couch with her daughter on her lap. "It was fun. We played soccer at recess" she explained. Michelina smiled, she knew her daughter loved playing soccer. She was a totally tomboy. She loved playing sports but her favorite was soccer and football.

She was the only girl in her class that liked to play sports and that played with the boys. To Michelina she was the splitting image of her father. In high school, Kelly was the biggest jock there ever was. Michelina was sporty, but not that much. She was the dancer in high school. She loved to dance.

"Did you have fun?" Michelina asked already knowing the answer to her question.

She smiled when Katie's eyes brightened up. "It was super fun. I got 3 goals and we won the game mama" she said. "Wow, good job princess. So listen I have something to talk with you about" Michelina started.

Elena looked at Michelina curious. She knew when Michelina got this serious it was about Kelly. She heard from Nina about the situation with Matt. She knew Kelly was there and that he and Michelina had a moment.

"Are you okay mom?" Katie asked.

"What do you think about going to the firehouse picnic next weekend? They are going to have a barbeque and you get to see the fire trucks and hang out with the firefighters" she said.

Katie's eyes bugged out with excitement. She loved anything to do with firefighting. "Really mama?" she wanted to be sure this wasn't a trick.

Michelina laughed. "Yeah baby for real. But we still have to go to school and listen to mommy and Aunt Elena" she warned.

Katie nodded and launched at her mom in a hug. "Don't worry mama, I will" she gave her mom a kiss before jumping down and going to do her homework in her room.

Elena waited until she was out of sight before turning to Michelina. She looked at her like she had three heads. "What is going on Mims?" she asked.

She knew that Michelina has been getting invites to the barbeque every year since she was with Kelly and even after they split up. Not once did she think about going. There had to be something to change her mind.

Elena had heard from Nina what happened with Matt and Hermann. She thought maybe that was the trigger to these sudden new emotions her friend was experiencing but she had to be sure. She didn't want Michelina to get hurt again. Now it wasn't just about Mia, they had to think about Katie as well.

Michelina took off her shoes and sat on the couch with her legs tucked under her. "Matt and Hermann were brought into the hospital. Hermann was okay. Just with a cracked rib and some smoke inhalation. Matt had it 10x worse. We had to rush him off to surgery. Kelly begged me to save his best friend" she started as her eyes were getting teary.

Elena handed her a tissue and sat next to her friend. "He took his mask off in the building and put it on Matt on their way out. He saved his life Lena. Another second without oxygen and he would have died of hypoxia. Kelly risked his own life to save Matt" she cried.

"That's his best friend Michelina. You know Kelly knows what he is doing. He knew he would make it out okay" she tried to reassure.

"Elena he knew not to take off his damn mask and he did. I am just afraid he is done with it. What the hell does he have to live for? Nina…his dad he doesn't talk to. Katie is six years old. She needs to know about her dad. It's time. The emotion in his voice. The defeat on his face in my office. I have to start to introduce them. He may not know she is his daughter at the picnic, but at least they get to meet" she said.

Elena scooted forward on the couch and wrapped her arm around Michelina in a hug. "You know I support you. If you think this is the right time then it's the right time. Now come on, clean yourself up and go introduce your daughter to Matthew Casey. If you want to start anywhere, he is the place to start. Nina won't leave Matt so they are your prime targets" Elena said.

Michelina wiped her tears and nodded with a smile. She knew Elena was right. First she needed to talk to Nina and Matt. She knew Nina would be with Matt so she figured to just bring her to the hospital. After visiting hours were over and she knew everyone but Nina was gone, she packed up some dinner and a bag of activities for Katie.

She ran up to her daughter's room and smiled at the sight of her daughter playing with her doll house. "Hi mama" she greeted.

Michelina smiled and wiped her tears. She walked in and knelt next to her daughter, "mommy has to go check on her friend at the hospital. Do you want to come? I think he would like that very much" she said.

Katie smiled and nodded. The whole way there she was non-stop questions. She wanted to know who the friend was, how he got hurt, how Michelina knew him. She wanted to know everything. Michelina parked in her employee spot and walked along-side her daughter into the hospital. She swiped her badge and led Katie onto the hospital floor.

Outside the door, she knelt down to her daughter's eye level. "Okay princess. I need you to be on your best behavior. I brought you some dinner and some coloring books so you need to use your inside voice" she said.

Katie could tell her mom was serious. She nodded and held her bag from her mom, "okay mommy, I promise" she said. Michelina nodded and pushed the door open. Matt and Nina turned to look at her surprised. They kept glancing from her to Katie who was hiding behind her mom's legs.

Michelina leaned down and hugged her daughter, "Nina, Matt, I want you to meet my daughter, Catherine Elizabeth De Luca" she introduced before turning to her daughter. "Katie, these are my friends. Nina Severide and Matt Casey" she pointed to each.

Nina looked at the little girl with tears in her eyes because she figured it out immediately. How could she not, Katie looked just like Kelly when he was younger. She was like his mini me. "Oh My God" she cried. Michelina started tearing up and nodded, confirming their suspicions.

"Hi" Katie waved. She walked over to the hospital bed and looked at her mom for her permission. "Let Nina help you. Be careful of his stitches" she said. Nina helped the little girl sit at the edge of the bed next to Matt.

"Hi, I'm Katie" she greeted.

Matt and Nina smiled. Nina wiped her tears. "Hi, I'm Matt" he replied. She looked at him and frowned, "why are you here? Are you sick?" she asked concerned.

"No not really. I was hurt in a fire. I am a firefighter. Me and my friend Hermann were clearing a building and we fell through the floor. The Rescue Squad lieutenant had to come and get us out. We got lucky that your mom was our doctor. She fixed me up" he explained.

Katie nodded. "Mommy is really good at that. She's the best doctor ever" she boasted her mom's ego. Nina walked over to where Michelina was taking out the containers of dinner and laying them out on the table. "She's Kelly's?" she asked.

Michelina wiped her tears and nodded. "Yeah I just didn't know how to tell him. Please, you guys you can't say anything. I don't…I can't deal with all this yet" she said to Nina and Matt. They nodded and waved her off. Nina put her arm around her ex-sister in law and nodded. She understood. Her brother was a stubborn ass.

She remembered when they broke up. It was just about the same time Kelly decided to go on Squad. He was so obsessed about getting on Squad. She got a lot of teary phone calls. Michelina was out of her mind with worry. He totally forgot about being a husband.

"Don't worry, we've got your back. But he's going to figure it out the minute he sees her. She looks just like him" Nina said.

Michelina let out a little laugh, "she acts like him too" she replied. That made them all let out a little laugh. They could tell just by the way she acted at the hospital. Her eyes brightened up when Matt told her he was a firefighter.

She spent the whole night asking him questions. By the end of the night, she was passed out next to Casey on the hospital bed. She wore herself out. She just got over excited when Matt started telling her about firefighter stories.

The next day, Katie was so excited to go to school. She practically ran out of the car when Michelina dropped her off in the morning. She wanted to tell everyone about her night with Matt and Nina. It was like her mom gave her a million bucks.

At the firehouse, things were going relatively slow. Matt was getting out of the hospital, so the guys were happy to have him back. He was on desk duty and was taking it easy. Kelly was filling in for him on Truck while Clarke was the substitute on Squad.

They were a family and make it work. They wanted to be there for him whatever he needed. It wasn't until they got a call at a kid's school that freaked them out.

**Truck 81, Ambulance 61, Squad 3…Gas Fire…St. Jacqueline Elementary School…**

All the guys jumped into action. It was a kid's school. They wanted to get there as fast as possible. For this type of call, every second counted.

At the hospital, Michelina was having lunch with Nina when she got a call on her personal cell phone. It was Katie's ring tone and that freaked her out. She was supposed to be in school.

"Hey baby, you okay?" she asked as Nina looked on curious.

"Mom!" Katie wheezed.

Michelina sat up with alarm. "Katie, what's going on?" she asked her daughter. She motioned for Nina to grab her things and follow her out. She had to get to that school.

"Mom there is a fire. There is a lot of smoke" she cried. She was scared.

"Okay baby. I am on my way. Where are you?" she asked.

"I am in the bathroom with Emily" she said.

Michelina nodded, "okay I want you to take off your jacket and put it in the sink to get it wet. Then I want you to put it over your mouth and one for Emily. I am sure the fire trucks are on their way. When you hear them, I want you to make noise. Bang against something so they can find you okay. Don't panic I am on my way" she reassured.

"Okay mom" Katie got to work. She took off her jacket and Emily's and did what her mom told her. "Don't worry Emily, we'll be okay" she reassured.

At the CPD, Johnny was sitting at his desk with his partner eating some lunch when he heard the call over the radio. He jumped up, "That's Katie's school" he said. Angie grabbed their stuff and ran to the squad car behind him. "What are you doing?" he asked her.

She didn't have to come. He didn't want to get her in trouble. It wasn't their call. She sat in the passenger seat and looked at him expectantly. "You are my partner. That little girl is like my niece. There is no way I was going to let you go alone" she said. He smiled and nodded, "alright then" he started the car and drove like a mad man to the school.

Nina and Michelina got there at the same time as Firehouse 51. Michelina ran out of the car and started looking through the crowds for her daughter. "Katie!" she yelled. She couldn't find her. She was still in the building.

Kelly saw his sister first. He made his way over with the Chief and Matt. There was no way he was missing this. He recognized the address and remembered that Michelina told him that's where Katie went to school.

"Nina, what the hell are you doing here? Did they call trauma code?" he asked. He knew his sister was on the trauma team at the hospital.

"No, Michelina has someone inside" she informed. Kelly's head snapped up and found Michelina right away. She was looking through the kids. They all made their way over to her. "Mia" he called putting his arm on the small of her back to get her attention.

She turned and let out a breath of relief when she saw Kelly. "You have to save her Kelly. Please, you have to get her" she said.

He put his hands on her shoulders to get her attention, he cupped her face. "Hey, calm down. Show me a picture. Who are you looking for?" he asked.

"Katie. She's in the bathroom on the third floor with her friend Emily. I told her to wrap her jacket around her mouth and nose to breathe but she's been in there a long time" she explained pulling a picture out of her wallet.

It was of her and Katie on Halloween last year. Katie was in a firefighters costume and Michelina was in her scrubs. She had just got out of work. Kelly smiled at the picture. The little girl was cute. Looked just like Mia. He would ask her about it later.

"Don't worry, we'll find her" he said looking at the Chief for permission.

Chief Boden nodded, "go get her" he said. Kelly and Clarke suited up and ran into the building while everyone did a search of the building. They had to make sure all the kids were out.

The alarms were still going off as they made their way into the building. Kelly and Clarke made their way up to the third floor. They split up on both sides of the hallway to check for the bathroom. It took then a few minutes to find the girls bathroom.

"Severide I found it" Clarke said.

"I'm on my way" Kelly scaled the wall until he found Clarke's position.

"The door is jammed" Clarke informed.

Kelly banged on the door. "KATIE!" he screamed.

"KATIE! THIS IS LT. SEVERIDE. I'M HERE TO HELP YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME? CALL OUT" he yelled through the door.

Katie remembered what her mom said. To make noise and that the firefighters were coming to help her. When she heard Lt. Severide, she knew he was there to help her.

She got up and took a metal pipe from the window and banged on the door. "I am here Lieutenant. Please help me. My friend Emily is with me" she called back.

Kelly and Clarke smiled at the little girl. She sounded smart. "Okay Katie, listen to me. My name is Kelly Severide and I am here with Jeff Clarke. We are going to get you and your friend out. I want you to get away from the door, keep the jacket over your mouth and cover your head" he said.

She nodded and ran back to Emily. "Okay Kelly. I am ready" she called out.

Kelly and Jeff got to work on the door. They had to break it off its hinges. Once it was free, they could see the smoke filled room.

Kelly pointed and directed Clarke to the two little figures crouched in the corner by the sink. They slowly made their way over. "Katie" he greeted. She nodded and wouldn't let go of her friend's hand. She was shaking. She was scared.

"Okay Katie. I need you to hold on to me okay. Clarke is going to get Emily and we are going to get you out of here and back to your mom" he said pulling her into his arms.

He took off his coat and wrapped it around her. He could tell she was scared by the way she clung to him. "Don't worry, you'll be okay" he said. She nodded and hid her head in his shoulder.

Outside, Mia was going crazy. She was pacing outside the door like a caged animal waiting to be set free. She wanted her daughter to be okay.

All the other firefighters were bringing kids and school staff out. Capp brought Elena out and Mia clung to her. "Lena, please tell me you saw Katie" she begged. Elena had tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry. She went to the bathroom with Emily. I think they got locked in there" she explained.

"Kelly went in after her. She called me at the hospital. God where the hell are they?" she cried her eyes peeled to the door.

"All clear on the north side Chief" Capp called into the radio.

That only made Mia more on edge. Gabby and Shay came and wrapped their arms around her. "I am sure Kelly got her" Matt said.

"Copy that" Chief Boden said back to Capp before trying to get Kelly on the radio.

"Severide, Clarke I need your ETA" he called.

He kept looking at the building. "It's going to flash" he said to no one in particular. Michelina grew up as a firefighter's daughter. She knew what that meant. "Oh God" she cried running her hands through her hair.

"Severide! Clarke! You need to get out of there. Do you copy?" Boden tried again.

Michelina looked up at the sky and put her hands together. "Please God, let them come out" she prayed.

Everyone felt for her. All the firefighters were around her for comfort. They could see how hard for her this was.

"One minute! All firefighters out of the building right now" Chief Boden called.

Michelina broke down. She went to push her way into the building. She would have if Matt didn't grab her waist and hold her back. "NO!" she screamed with tears rolling down her face.

"KELLY! KATIE! PLEASE GOD!" she broke down.

Inside the building, Kelly and Clarke felt the top floor flash. They crouched down and covered the girls. They had to find a way out. "We can't go up. Let's go down" Clarke said.

Kelly nodded and led the way down. They got to the first floor to find it covered in flames. Their only way out was blazing. Kelly and Jeff made sure their jackets covered the girls. Kelly put his arms around Katie. "Okay girls, we are going to get out of here. We are going to run through the fire so I want you to stay tucked into us and don't let go. Stay under the jackets" he said.

He felt Katie tighten her hold around his neck and nodded to Clarke. They ran for it. They couldn't believe it when they got out and felt the air hit their soot covered faces.

Mills saw them first. "Chief" he called pointing to the door. They all turned to see the two fire fighters run out with the girls in their arms. Nina and Michelina sobbed. "Oh God" she cried and took off towards Kelly.

Johnny hugged Nina and shook his head at the scene before him. "Thank God they made it out" he said. "You can say that again" Nina replied from this arms.

Michelina ran as fast as she could go and didn't stop until she was wrapped in Kelly's arms. He saw her coming and opened his arms to catch her. She wrapped her arms around him and Katie. She buried her head in the crook of his neck. He was glad to be out.

After a minute, she pulled away and took Katie from him. She squeezed her daughter to her tight and held onto her before pulling away and checking her over. "Oh My God baby, are you okay? Are you hurt?" she asked taking her to the ambulance for Gabby and Shay to check her out.

She wouldn't let go of Kelly. He sat next to her on the gurney and she held onto him for dear life. He held her and put her in his lap. He kept his arm wrapped around her as Shay and Gabby checked her out. She wasn't talking. She was in shock.

Kelly just kept rocking her and whispering words of comfort in her ear. "She's okay. Mild smoke inhalation. Let's get her to the hospital for some oxygen treatment. She should be okay" Gabby said.

Michelina nodded and gave them a hug in gratitude. Nina and Michelina were going to go with her in the ambulance. She freaked out and started screaming when Kelly let go of her. "Chief, can we borrow Severide please?" Michelina cried.

Chief Boden nodded, "go" he said. Kelly laid on the bed next to her and held her in his lap. In the hospital, Michelina and Nina were talking to the doctor when Kelly decided to give it a try to calm her down.

He sat her on his lap facing him on the bed and wrapped his arms around her. "You know you are going to be okay right?" he said. She looked up at him and shook her head. She broke down in tears. Kelly held her close to him and let her cry. He rubbed her back in comfort.

"It's okay. I know you are scared. It was pretty scary in there, but it's going to be okay. I want you to know that you were very brave. You took care of your friend and made sure she was okay. That you were strong. Just like your mom. You did really good princess" he said.

Michelina leaned against the doorway with tears in her eyes. She listened to Kelly comfort his daughter and cried at the fact that he saved her life and he doesn't even know she is his daughter. He wanted to make it better for her.

"I am scared" she cried.

He nodded, "I know. It can be really scary. But you know what? I want to promise you something" he said. She looked at him curious. "I will always be there for you. If you feel scared or if you need a friend. I want you to call me. I am going to be there for you no matter what okay?" he said holding out his pinky.

She smiled and wrapped her pinky around his. "You promise to always rescue me?" she said. Kelly couldn't help but smile and nod, "I promise" he replied. She smiled big and was starting to look like her old self; a little less scared.

He smiled and caressed her cheek. "There's my pretty girl" he smiled at her dimples.

Michelina wiped her tears and walked into the room with a smile on her face. She tried to bury her emotion, but Kelly saw right through her.

"Hey you okay?" he asked.

"I am good. And even better news. You my little angel are going to be okay. You have to stay the night with oxygen but tomorrow you can go home" she said.

Kelly looked down at the little girl with a smile. "Hey, that's good news" he said. "Are you going to stay Kelly?" she asked. He looked from her mom to her.

"Lt. Severide has to go help save other little girls" Michelina said.

"But, I'll stop by and visit you tomorrow. If that's okay with your mom" he said. Michelina smiled and nodded, "no problem" she replied.

Kelly smiled and leaned down to give the little girl a kiss on her forehead. "Don't forget our promise okay" he said. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Thank you" she said. He kissed her little forehead before walking out with Michelina.

"I'll be right back princess" she said before walking Kelly out.

Michelina literally jumped into Kelly's arms and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Thank you for saving my baby" she said into his neck. Kelly wrapped his arms tight around Mia and held her closer to him.

That's how Scott found them. He heard about Katie and came to check on her. He found Michelina in Kelly's arms outside the room. He just stood in the hallway and watched. He knew there was more going on.

Kelly pulled away but kept her close. He put a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead. "It was my pleasure. She is a sweet little girl. Strong and brave. Like her mom" he said as they locked eyes.

"Uhm" Scott came over and cleared his throat.

Michelina and Kelly looked over to see him watching them. "Scott, what are you doing here?" Michelina asked. "I heard about Katie. I just came to check on her" he said. Michelina nodded and turned back to Kelly. He bent forward and kissed her cheek.

"Tell her I'll be back to check on her" he said.

Michelina smiled and nodded and watched him leave before turning to Scott. "Thank you for coming to check on her. She just fell asleep" she informed. He nodded and put his hands in his pockets. "I had to come and make sure she was okay" he replied. She smiled, "thanks. That means a lot" she answered avoiding the Kelly topic.

As promised, Kelly met them at the house with all the firefighters. They threw her a welcome home party. Gabby cooked for an army and they just hung out with each other. It felt like old times. When everyone left, Kelly staid back to play with Katie and help Michelina clean up.

"Hey she fell asleep" he informed.

"Do you mind putting her in her room? Third door from the right" she explained.

He shook his head and picked her up and cradled her to his chest. She buried her head in his neck as he carried her upstairs. He found her room and laid her down in the middle of the bed before tucking her in. He kissed her forehead and caressed her hair a little, "good night princess" he took a liking to the little girl. She had spunk. She reminded him of Michelina.

Downstairs, Michelina had just finished putting the food away when the doorbell rang. It was her father, District Chief Daniel De Luca. "Dad?" she said surprised. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

Her dad walked in and looked around the room before turning to her with his hands crossed across his chest. "I just heard about my grandbaby and had to check on her. Why didn't you tell me? Is she okay?" he asked.

"I had a lot on my mind dad. She is fine. She just went down" she informed.

Before he could reply, Kelly came back down. "Hey Mia I put her down. She is exhausted. Wore herself out" he said before stopping when he saw the Chief.

"Chief" he greeted. He may be his ex-father in-law, but he still out ranked him.

Danny looked between his daughter and Kelly suspiciously. "Lt. Severide. What are you doing here?" he asked.

"He came to check on Katie. He is the one who pulled her out of the school" Michelina answered for him. Kelly went to stand by Mia.

The Chief softened a little. "Well then let me thank you for saving my grandbaby" he said. Kelly smiled and waved him off. "It was my pleasure. She's a great kid" he replied.

He only knew her for a short period of time, but she already found her way into his heart. The chief nodded in agreement. "That she is" he agreed.

"Well I hate to be rude, but I have a big day tomorrow so I'll see you both later" she said holding the door open, hoping they got the hint. She couldn't take the way her dad was looking at her.

Kelly came over and kissed her cheek with his hand around her waist on her hip, "I'll see you later Mia" he said. She smiled and nodded, "tell everyone thank you for today. I really appreciate it" she called after him. He smiled, "no problem" he replied before leaving.

Her dad gave her a hug on the way out. "You tell Katie to feel better" he said. Michelina smiled and hugged her dad, "I will dad. Thanks for stopping by" she said before watching them both leave.

She shut the door and leaned against it. She could not believe the day she had. She only hoped it was smooth sailing from here on out.


	3. Chapter 3-Katie

**Hi Everyone! So another chapter. Just to clarify some things.**

**Kelly and Michelina were married at 21 and divorced by 29.**

**Michelina left medical school in New York at 29. She was pregnant with Catie when she left but she didn't know.**

**Catherine Elizabeth De Luca is 5 years old.**

**Hope that clears things up! Thanks for reading and taking interest!**

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_**Previously…**_

door open, hoping they got the hint. She couldn't take the way her dad was looking at her.

Kelly came over and kissed her cheek with his hand around her waist on her hip, "I'll see you later Mia" he said. She smiled and nodded, "tell everyone thank you for today. I really appreciate it" she called after him. He smiled, "no problem" he replied before leaving.

Her dad gave her a hug on the way out. "You tell Katie to feel better" he said. Michelina smiled and hugged her dad, "I will dad. Thanks for stopping by" she said before watching them both leave.

She shut the door and leaned against it. She could not believe the day she had. She only hoped it was smooth sailing from here on out.

**NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN**

**Chapter 3-Katie**

The next couple days were pretty smooth sailing. Her dad kept grilling her about Kelly. He wanted to know about their relationship. He figured from the night at her house that he didn't know Katie was his. She avoided her dad because she didn't know how to answer him.

Seeing Kelly again after 5 years threw her off. She needed to get her head back in place and focus on something else.

That morning, Katie came down looking pale and clammy. Michelina noticed right away that she may be coming down with something. She smiled when she also noticed that Katie tried not to show it. She was the only kid Michelina knew that loved going to school. She got that from her.

"Hey baby, how are you feeling?" she asked.

Katie put her bag on the chair in the kitchen and jumped up on the island to eat her oatmeal. She started in and only had a few spoons of oatmeal and a couple blueberries. She really had no appetite.

"I am fine mama" she replied.

Michelina nodded and put her bag together for work. She pulled Katie's lunch out of the fridge and put it in her backpack. She added some cold medicine and instructions in her bag. "Kate, why don't you take the day off school today and stay home and rest?" she offered.

Katie snapped up, "no mom. I don't want to stay home. We are picking captains today for soccer. I can't miss it" she argued.

"Katie if you are feeling sick, we don't want you to go to school and get the other kids sick" Michelina reasoned with her incredibly stubborn daughter.

"But mom, please. I have to be there. I can't let Rachel take my spot on the team. I promise to go to the nurse if I don't feel good" she compromised.

"Are you sure? I am going to call and make sure you are feeling good do you understand me?" she said in her serious mom tone.

Katie put down her spoon and saluted her mom. "Yes mama" she joked.

They left the house a few hours later and Michelina went to drop Katie off at school and went to work. She set her alarm to make sure she called the school. She wanted to check on her. She didn't have anything but checkups and routine visits so she wasn't too stressed.

Around 12, they started getting really busy. Another doctor had to leave for an emergency, so she had to cover for him and the whole waiting room was packed.

RING! RING!

"Dr. De Luca" she answered.

"Hi Dr. De Luca, this is Anna, the nurse from your daughter's school" she started.

Michelina stopped at the desk and freaked. "Hi, is Katie okay? Is she hurt?" she asked. She was worried. She wanted to know if her daughter was okay.

"She came into my office before lunch. She threw up in the bathroom and said she wasn't feeling well" the nurse explained.

"Okay, someone will be by to pick her up. Thank you" she replied.

She tried to think of who to call. She didn't want to call her dad, she couldn't call Johnny because he was working with the Intelligence Unit. She thought of Kelly but decided against it. She called the next best person.

Nina had just gotten out of the shower. Clarke left for work already so she was left alone on her vacation from the hospital. She put some shorts and a tank top and went back downstairs to clean up after breakfast.

She made Jeff eggs, bacon and pancakes for breakfast before his shift. They were working 24 hours so she wouldn't see him until the next day. She had a whole day of cleaning and doing nothing.

RING! RING!

"Hello" the person answered.

"Hey Nina, it's me. I know you are still on your vacation but I have a huge favor to ask you" she started.

Nina could tell she sounded frantic. She was slightly worried. "Yeah, go ahead. What's up?" she asked.

"Okay, Katie hasn't been feeling really good today. The school called and they need someone to come pick her up. Elena is working at the school and can't and Johnny is working with Voight. I would need you to go pick her up from school. She is in the nurse's office" she informed.

"Yeah no problem. I'll go get her and just keep her with me" she said.

Michelina let out a breath of relief. "Thank you so much Nina. I put some cold medicine in her bag. The instructions are on the bottle. Tell her to rest and drink as much as possible. She doesn't have to eat, but she has to drink. I don't want her to dehydrate" she instructed.

Nina laughed at her worries. "Don't worry Mia, she'll be fine" he replied.

"Thanks Nina. I have to go, but I'll call to check up on her later" she said before hanging up.

Nina made it to the school in no time. When she picked Catherine, she could tell she was a little sick but she admired that she tried to hide it. Nina saw a lot of her brother in the little girl. Besides the obvious looks, she had his personality. She was all Severide.

Once she buckled her into the car, she noticed Jeff's gym bag in the back seat. "Oh man" she said.

"What Aunt Nina?" she asked.

"It looks like Jeff forgot his bag in the trunk. He's going to need that to change tomorrow. Do you mind if we make a pit stop at the firehouse before going home?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

The little girl's eyes lit up. "Okay. No problem" she replied with a big smile.

Nina let out a little laugh and shook her head. She loved anything firefighting. It was in her blood.

It didn't take them very long to get to the firehouse. The guys were cleaning the equipment. Nina figured they just came from a call. She parked in front of the house and walked in with Jeff's bag on one arm and Katie on the other.

Everyone was scattered around the firehouse when Nina walked in. Shay and Dawson saw her first. "Hey Nina, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Jeff forgot his bag in my car from yesterday. I brought it over. Do you know where he is?" she asked.

"With the Squad" Shay replied, looking at Katie the whole time.

"Thanks Shay" she said dragging Katie along. She really didn't want to explain to everyone why she had Katie.

The Squad guys were sitting around the table playing cards and cleaning out their equipment. Kelly saw them first. He recognized Katie immediately. When the little girl locked gazes with him, she took off.

"LT. SEVERIDE!" she squealed before running to him.

He looked up and smiled. He got up and met her halfway with his arms wide open. He caught her and lifted her up in the air before bringing her down for a hug. "Hey Kitty Kat, what are you doing here?" he asked.

She wrapped one arm around his neck before pointing the other at Nina. "Aunt Nina picked me up from school. I have a tummy ache" she informed.

Kelly looked at his sister for further information. He walked over and wrapped her in a one arm hug. "Jeff forgot his bag in my car. I noticed it after Mia asked me to pick up Katie. I wanted to drop it off for him before I took her home" she explained.

He nodded in understanding. Then Jeff Clarke came out of the kitchen and looked surprised to see Nina. Everyone was even more surprised to see Kelly Severide holding a little girl. They recognized her from the school fire. She's Michelina's daughter.

"Hey babe, what are you doing here?" he asked greeting her with a kiss.

"You forgot your bag in my car. I wanted to drop it off before you got busy" she said handing him the bag.

"Thanks babe," he said before turning to the little girl in Kelly's arms. "Hi princess, do you remember me? I pulled your friend out of the school when Kelly grabbed you" he said.

She smiled and nodded, "yeah I remember" she replied with a smile.

Kelly let her down and she reached into her bag. She pulled out two gift bags and handed one to Kelly and one to Clarke. They kneeled down and smiled as they held the bags. "What are these for?" they asked.

"One is from me for Lt. Severide and the other one is from Emily for Clarke. They are to say thank you for helping save us from the fire. We made them at school. And mama and Ms. Krissy helped" she informed.

The guys smiled and watched as Kelly and Clarke opened their gifts. They each pulled out a jewelry box. They opened it to find a bracelet made it different colored beads. It was made with red, blue and brown beads with the word 'thanks' written in the beads.

"Wow, it's beautiful" Jeff said.

"What do the beads mean?" Kelly asked.

"The red means courage, the blue means healing and the brown means comfort and security. We thought it reminded us of you. We just wanted to say thanks for saving us" she said.

Jeff smiled and opened his arms, "can I have a hug? I love it. It's great" he said putting it on. She went and gave Kelly and Jeff a hug.

They stayed for dinner. Katie went to use the bathroom and saw the fire trucks. She got super excited. "Which truck is that?" she asked.

"That's Squad 3's truck. They are like the best. They save people from the water, burning buildings and from the roof. They save people all the time from everything" Chief Boden explained smiling as the little girls eyes lit up.

"Do you drive that?" she asked.

"I used too. Now I am in charge of everyone who drives those" he replied.

She nodded in understanding, "Like grandpa" she questioned.

Chief Boden knew she was Michelina's daughter. The girl looked just like a perfect mixture of her and Kelly Severide. "Yeah, just like your grandpa" he confirmed.

"Cool, Chief Boden. Can I tell you a secret?" she asked.

"Sure, go ahead" he replied.

"My daddy drives one of those. He's a superhero. He saves people all the time" she said.

"Really? Who told you that?" he asked.

"My mommy. She said to keep it a secret" she added.

The entire night, Kelly kept his gaze on the little girl. He wanted to know more about her. He was showing her all the stuff from the Squad. "So, how old are you kitty kat?" he asked.

"Five" she answered.

He nodded and began thinking. That confirmed his thoughts. She was his daughter. She had to be. It fit. She's the right age and she looked just like him.

"So, are you feeling better? Did you tell your dad about the fire?" he pried. He wanted more information from her.

She shook her head, "no, I don't know who my dad is. Mommy said he doesn't know about me. He has to stay at his work and save people. That's what he does. My dad is a superhero, like you" she said.

Kelly stopped at looked down at her. He knelt to her level and held her hands in front of him. "What do you mean like me?" he asked.

"You saved me and Emily from the fire. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. And you made mommy smile at the hospital. She doesn't smile anymore. She has too much to worry about. Me, work, our new house and everything. You helped me and my mommy. To me that makes you a superhero" she replied.

Kelly couldn't help but let a few tears fall. She wiped his tears, "that's a good thing. Don't cry" she smiled at him. He smiled and wrapped her up in his arms for a hug.

Nina and Katie ended up staying for lunch at the firehouse. Kelly followed his sister back to her house. He wanted to spend more time with Katie.

She had just fallen asleep on the couch after taking her cough medicine. Kelly walked into the kitchen and grabbed a cup of coffee. "Nina, is she mine?" he asked simply.

Nina looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry Kelly" she said. Her avoidance of the question already answered his. He nodded and plopped down on the table. She came over and rubbed her brothers back in comfort.

"You'll be okay. This whole situation will be okay. You just have to talk to Michelina. She had her reasons for keeping her from you Kelly" Nina said.

Kelly let out a breath and nodded, "I know Nina, I know" he replied.

**A week later**

Nina had told Michelina that she spent the day with Kelly. Michelina didn't mind. She just had to figure out how to tell Kelly about Katie.

Katie was at school while Nina and Michelina were at the hospital. It was a crazy busy day. They were running in and out of patients rooms. They were seeing double they were so busy.

Mr. James came in around noon with his wife. They were the only patients who stood out because she was pregnant. "Excuse me, my wife needs to see a doctor" he called trying to get someone's attention.

"Hi, my name is Michelina. I am a doctor. I can help you" Michelina led the wife into a wheel chair. She knelt down and started to examine her.

"How far along are you?" she asked.

"About 8 months, but I saw some spotting this morning. We are normally from Boston. I am here for my sister's wedding. She is my baby sister and I had to be here. I woke up this morning after a night long of packing some flowers when I noticed some blood on underwear" she informed.

Michelina nodded and listened to her heart rate. "Okay, your heart rate is a little fast. I want to put you in a room on a monitor for some rest until I can run some more tests" she said waving down an orderly.

"Hey Mike, can you please take Mrs. James into exam room 4 and set her up on a heart monitor and a bp machine. Let's start IV saline in the infuser and order a CBC, chem-panel and ultrasound" she ordered.

He led her into a room and gave Mr. James a chart to fill out for new patient information. When Mike ran through their information in the computer, he didn't find any insurance in the system. He didn't want to confront the patient, so he looked for Dr. De Luca.

"Hey Michelina, it shows that they don't have any insurance. I don't think we can treat them. I think we have to send them to county" he replied.

She looked at the computer and tried imputing it again. It came up as the same error message. "Maybe they have another card" she said. They walked into the room together. "Excuse me Mr. and Mrs. James. It seems that you don't have any insurance in the system. Do you have another card?" she asked politely.

"I am sorry, I must have forgotten to renew the card. You can still treat Jane though right?" he replied.

Mike and Michelina looked at each other sad before looking at the James the same way. "I'm sorry. It's policy that if you don't have insurance, we can still send you to county. I can put it in your chart what I think and what tests I have ordered, but we can't do it here" she explained and let down as gently as possible.

"That's okay, thank you doctor" Jane said.

Michelina was really upset that she couldn't treat them. "I'm sorry" Michelina added. She really was sorry. She wanted to do more. She walked out of the room and up to the desk. After a couple minutes, an orderly wheeled them out.

All of a sudden a few hours later, they felt an explosion. "What the hell was that?" Nina asked. Michelina and Mike shook their heads. They all followed the chaos down to the ER. It was Mr. James. "Someone is going to help my wife" he yelled.

He had blown up the whole ER floor. "OMG!" Nina gasped. They just stood frozen. They didn't know what to do.

At the firehouse, the guys were just lounging around when they got the call that changed everything.

**Truck 81, Ambulance 61, Squad 3…Hospital Fire…ER Explosion**

The guys jumped up and ran into their trucks. They changed into their gear and headed to the hospital. "I'm sure she's fine Severide" Chief Boden and Matt tried to reassure over the radio. Kelly couldn't listen. He was just picturing Michelina.

They got to the hospital and it was chaos outside. There were police and hospital staff all outside huddled around the computers and command center. "Voight" Chief Boden called.

"There was an explosion in the ER. We have a video up now. It's getting pretty smoky in there. This guy wants treatment for his wife but they don't have insurance. He blew up the place to get their attention" he informed.

As the firefighters looked at the video, they immediately glanced at Severide. He was already gearing up, Matt and Clarke right behind him.

"Hey what the hell do you think you are doing?" Voight asked.

"Mia is in there. I am getting her out" Kelly tried to reign in his emotions.

"We have to wait until the situation is stable enough to go in. NO ONE GOES IN UNLESS I GIVE THE ALL CLEAR" Voight yelled to everyone.

Kelly got pissed. "MY WIFE IS IN THERE. I NEED TO GET HER OUT" he yelled right back. When it came to Michelina, Kelly lost all frame of judgment.

"NO ONE GOES IN UNTIL IT'S STABLE. I'M NOT HAVING YOUR DEATH ON MY HANDS BECAUSE YOU WERE TOO STUBBORN TO LISTEN. NO. ONE. GOES. IN" Voight punctuated each word.

Kelly was about to get into his face, when Matt and Clarke pulled him back. The chief really felt for his lieutenant. He knew how much his lieutenant was burning on the inside. He needed to step in.

"We need to get in there" Chief Boden said simply.

**Inside the hospital**

"Mr. James, listen to me, please. All this smoke is not good for your wife. Please just let me treat her and help her out. We need to get her out of here though" Michelina informed covering her mouth.

She was starting to cough from all the smoke. Everyone was. "No, she needs to be treated" he cried.

Michelina stepped forward and put her hands up in surrender. "Mr. James. I am the only doctor in here. The smoke is getting to your wife and your baby. If you don't believe me, look at your wife's monitor. Her pulse ox is falling and her baby's oxygen is decreasing as well. Please just let me help them and let everyone out" she begged.

He nodded. Michelina and Mike stepped forward up to the gurney. It was getting hard to see. There was fire coming out from the hallway. Mike covered her face with the oxygen mask. He handed one to Michelina but she shook her head.

"No, give it to Nina" she insisted.

After getting Jane looked at and covered for transport, the smoke was too much for Michelina. She collapsed and the building gave out as they walked out. It fell right on top of her.

**Outside the hospital**

Everyone watched as Mike and Nina wheeled out Jane with her husband by her side. Voight directed Chief Boden and gave him the go ahead to send in his men.

Kelly ran in and tried to find Mia. "MICHELINA!" he called.

Clarke and Casey found her first. They pointed to her on lifeless body on the floor. "We got her Kelly" they called over the radio. Severide ran over and took off his mask. He put his mask on top of her and held her until they got a ladder through the window. He wasn't letting her go.

"Come on Mia, wake up princess" he begged.

It took her a minute to stir awake. She gasped for breath and went to shoot up. All the memories came back to her and she panicked.

"Hey, hey. Calm down. I got you. I am going to get you out" he said.

She grabbed his hand and squeezed, "it's bad Kelly" she informed.

"No, don't worry, I'll get you out" he repeated.

She shook her head, only to get more dizzy. "No, Kelly, listen" she wheezed. "My side is impaled. I think there is internal bleeding, my abdomen is distended. I am not going to make it out of here. Please. You have to go. Our daughter needs you alive" she begged.

He bent into her and kissed her forehead, "I am going to get you out. If you think I can raise a little girl by myself you are crazy" he said.

Once the ladder was in place, Kelly held her more securely in his arms and smiled down at her. "Okay princess, here we go" he carefully picked her up bridal style and carried her up the ladder.

"Shay, Dawson be ready. Michelina needs help. She's really bad" Clarke said. Dawson and Shay had the gurney at the door. They were ready for the worst. When Kelly was clear, he put Michelina on the gurney. "She said it was really bad. She was impaled. She said she thinks she has internal bleeding and her abdomen is distended." He informed.

"We'll figure out what's wrong, don't worry!" she says, trying to reassure him. Everyone watched surprised. No one knew the true depth of their relationship except for Matt and the Chief. "I'm coming with you" he said.

They rushed her to the hospital. Scott was waiting in the ER with George. He needed to be there in case they needed to get her on the operating table. "What do we got?" he asked. "She fell through the stairs. She was impaled in the abdominal cavity. We don't know how bad the damage is. We think there is internal bleeding. Her abdomen is distended and there is possible smoke inhalation," Dawson relayed the vitals and explained the situation.

"Okay, let's get her to bay 3. Order a CBC, blood panel, cultures, chest x-ray and MRI. I want her on a c-pac to help her lungs NOW! LET'S MOVE!" he ordered.

The nurses and residents scrambled. This is one of their own and she was hurt. Within the hour, firefighters from Station 51 started arriving at the hospital. Everyone waited in the lobby with Nina. She was the only one who knew anything about what they were talking about. Scott wasn't allowed to work on her, so he waited too.

After a few minutes, George came back out with Stacey. They looked like they had a plan. Nina walked up to them first. "George, what's the plan?" she asked.

"She needs surgery but she is pretty bad off. It's touch and go. She is really critical. Without this surgery she won't make it" George informed him.

Everyone looked on in worry and concern. "What are you waiting for then? Do the surgery" Kelly said. If this surgery was her only chance then why were they wasting time?

"It's not that simple. Michelina is in really critical condition. We looked at her scans and images. It looks like she had a rough pregnancy and birth. We know she had a c-section because it's in her chart. From the images we've seen, it looks like she has severe scar tissue damage and I am assuming a lot of adhesions. That's not going to make our job easy. You need to understand that she might not make it out of surgery" George said.

Scott looked at him like he had 3 heads. "George, she needs the surgery. You have to do it. You have to do it ASAP. Go get the papers. I'll sign whatever I need to. Just get it done" he said.

George put his head down before looking back up at Scott. "Sorry, but you aren't her medical proxy" he said to the trauma doctor before turning to Kelly. "Lt. Severide is listed as her next of kin and her medical emergency proxy. He makes all the decisions" George said.

They couldn't believe it. Kelly couldn't believe she kept him as her medical proxy all these years. They put each other's names down when they got married. Sure he still had her, but he didn't think she still had him. He didn't know what to do.

"He can't be her medical proxy. They haven't seen each other in over 5 years. He knows nothing about her. Besides she's in a relationship with me, not him. My relationship with her makes me in charge of her medical care. I know she meant to change it. She just hasn't gotten around to it yet" Scott argued.

"I know my sister and I know that if she wants to do something she finds time to do it. There is a reason Kelly is her medical proxy. That's not just by accident" Johnny interjected. He was getting really tired of this guy.

Kelly looked at him shell shocked. He could not believe what he just heard. "Where is she?" he asked. George looked between the two lieutenants doubtful. Nina nodded, Kelly deserved to know. Severide was really losing his patience. He wasn't in the mood for this.

"If someone doesn't tell me where my wife is, so help me God, I am going to reign hell on earth in here. I need to see her. If all the decisions fall on me, I need to see her. Please" he protested.

"Room 318" George said.

Kelly stalked down the hall. He was fuming. Why wouldn't she tell him? He would be there for her, she knew that. When he saw her laying on that bed with the oxygen mask on her face, anger washed away. He couldn't believe that was her laying there.

He walked in and went right up to her. He sat on the chair by the side of her bed and took her hand. She was still unconscious. He just held her hand and stared at her, like he was trying to think of what she would do if the situations were reversed.

"Mia I really need your advice right now. They are saying you need surgery and you might not make it. I don't know what to decide. I can't live my life without you. Even when you were gone, at least I knew you were alive somewhere and happy. I can't lose you Mia. Not when you just came back to me and now I know we have a daughter. She needs her mother. I need you to tell me what to do" he cried.

Some wind came in through the small window and the sun reflected off her necklace. Kelly got up to look at her necklace. He smiled when he saw her wedding ring on her neck glistening in the sun. That was the sign he needed. She trusted him to do this for her and he needed to be strong for her.

He walked back into the lobby with a determined look on his face. "Do the surgery. I'll sign whatever you need. Just save her life and being her back to her family" he said.

George nodded and went to get the paperwork. The decision was made. It was now time to act on it.


	4. Chapter 4 - Michelina

**Hey guys, thanks for reading! I hope you are enjoying this! **

**So its surgery day and it all comes down to Kelly…dum dum dum….**

**Let's see how it all unfolds…**

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_**Previously…**_

Some wind came in through the small window and the sun reflected off her necklace. Kelly got up to look at her necklace. He smiled when he saw her wedding ring on her neck glistening in the sun. That was the sign he needed. She trusted him to do this for her and he needed to be strong for her.

He walked back into the lobby with a determined look on his face. "Do the surgery. I'll sign whatever you need. Just save her life and being her back to her family" he said.

George nodded and went to get the paperwork. The decision was made. It was now time to act on it.

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**Chapter 4- Michelina**

Stacey sprinted to the charge desk to get the surgery consent in order. She knew this was going to be a very sensitive case and she wanted everything in order. Once she had all the paperwork she knew she would need, she made her way back to the growing mob in the lobby.

She walked right over to Kelly and handed him the chart. She knelt in front of him and held his hand. "I know this was a tough decision for you. I know that you are kind of lost in all this medical stuff and don't really understand it, but I want you to know that she wouldn't have kept you as her medical proxy all these years if she didn't trust you with her life. She knew you would make the right decision for her and your family" she reassured.

Kelly smiled and pulled her into a hug. He really needed to hear that. He needed to hear that this was the right thing to do. Of course he knew that her medical staff would take care of her and make sure she got the best possible care, but for him, the pressure was weighing on.

He needed to be strong for her and their daughter. She counted on his strength and would need his strength to pull through this. He had to suck up all his feelings and his emotions and be what she needed from him. A strong support and a good dad to their daughter.

After the consent was signed, Stacey processed everything and sent a message to George and the OR team. She told them that all the paperwork was in order and they were ready to take her down whenever the OR was ready for her.

"Make sure Kelly and Katie have a chance to see her before surgery" George said to Stacey. She nodded and made her way back to the lobby.

Kelly stood up anxiously when he saw her. He thought something went wrong already. "Dr. Catalina is prepping for the surgery and they are preparing the OR. If you want, I can take you and Katie back to see her before they come and get her for surgery. You have a few minutes" she informed.

Kelly nodded and grabbed Katie. They followed Stacey back to Michelina's room. Kelly stopped outside and looked at his little girl. "Okay Kitty Kat, remember how I told you mommy is sick and I had to get her out of the smoke?" he asked.

The little girl nodded and smiled, "yeah just like me" she compared.

Kelly couldn't help but smile with her. Her smile was contagious. "Yeah just like you. Except mommy is a little sick. She has some smoke in her lungs so she is going to have a mask on her face to help her breathe better. She needs medicine to make her better, so there is going to be a long tube in her hand so the medicine can get to her faster. I don't want you to be scared okay" he explained.

She looked seriously at her dad and nodded, "mommy is going to be better right?" she asked. Kelly hugged her to him and tried his hardest to keep his tears at bay, "yeah princess, mommy is going to be better" he said before going in.

He kept Katie in his arms as he stood next to the hospital bed. "Hi mommy, me and Lt. Severide are here. We know you have to have surgery with Uncle George and he is going to make you better. I love you mommy and I will see you after surgery" she said.

Kelly smiled and then it was his turn. "Hi Mia, look I know you are probably happy and peaceful where you are now, but me and Katie need you to come back to us and get better so we are waiting for you. I want you to focus on getting through this surgery and coming back ten times stronger. We love you and we are waiting for you" he added.

KNOCK KNOCK!

"Excuse me, we are ready for Dr. De Luca in the OR" the resident said.

Kelly nodded and turned to Katie, "wish mommy good luck on her surgery" he said. "Good luck mama" Katie said and held onto Kelly as he leaned her over Mia to kiss her cheek. "Good luck angel" Kelly gave her a small kiss on the lips before moving out of the way and letting the residents do their jobs.

They followed Mia all the way to the operating room doors and just stood as they watched her get wheeled through. All Kelly could think about was if he made the right decision.

The entire operating room was on edge. George and Nina were standing outside the operating room on edge. "I don't know how to do this Nina? How am I supposed to do this?" he put his head between his knees taking some deep breaths.

Nina rubbed his back up and down in comfort. "George, you have to do this. No one can do this but you. Come on, Scott is just a big shot. He's all talk. I don't trust him because I am afraid he will try to outshine Kelly and mess up. We need you to do this" she said.

He stood up and nodded. He needed to get himself together. "I know, but damn, how the hell did this all fall on me?" he asked as he moved to get scrubbed up. Nina smiled under her surgical mask. Due to the fact that she was in the explosion, she can't operate, but she could still be the liaison between the hospital and the firehouse.

"George, you and I both know you were trained by the best. Michelina didn't spend all her time training you and making you the best damn surgeon in the country for nothing. You can do this" she reassured.

He looked at her and nodded. "Alright, I'm doing this. I'll keep you updated as I go along" he said. She nodded and scrubbed out.

She made her way back to the lobby to see everyone from the firehouse had shown up. "They are just about to start" she informed. Katie was sitting with Shay and Dawson doing some stuff from school. They wanted to keep her preoccupied. She knew her mom was sick, but she also knew that the doctors would make her better.

By this time, Kelly knew that Katie is his daughter. He really didn't know how to tell her. He wanted to know how you tell our 5 year old daughter that you are her father.

"Aunt Nina, is mommy going to be okay?" Katie asked.

Nina smiled and pulled the little girl onto her lap. "Yeah princess. Your mom is going to be just fine. She is strong and she'll pull through this" she reassured.

"Are you sure? Mommy was pretty sick. She's never been in the hospital before" Katie reasoned.

The firefighters smiled and laughed. The girl was too smart for her own good. She was way more mature than she should be.

Kelly leaned down in front of Nina and took Katie's hands in his own. "I have known your mom for a long time. I can promise you that she will be fine. She'll come out of this better than before" he said with conviction.

The little girl smiled and leaned forward to wrap her arms around his neck in a hug. "Thank you for saving my mommy," she said.

He smiled and tried to keep his tears at bay. He wrapped his arms tighter around her and kissed her temple. "Anytime princess" he replied.

After a few more minutes of quiet, Katie looked around at all the firefighters and huffed. "What's wrong kiddo?" Hermann asked.

"Is no one going to tell me that Lt. Severide is my daddy? I already know, so we don't have to pretend anymore" she said. Everyone looked at the little girl shocked.

"Katie, did you just call Kelly daddy?" Johnny asked.

Catherine smiled at her uncle. "Yeah Uncle Johnny. I figured it out after he saved me from my school. Mommy has a picture of her and Lt. Severide on her dresser mirror. When I asked her who that was, she said that he was the second most important person in her life after me. Lt. Severide told me in the hospital that he would always be there for me. He promised. Only a daddy promises something like that, so I just guessed" she explained.

"Well, that definitely makes it official, she got her smarts from Michelina" Casey teased.

That got everyone laughing. "So, you are really okay with me being your dad?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded, "yeah of course. You are just like my superman. That's the best dad anyone could ask for" she said giving him another hug.

Kelly couldn't help but let the tears fall as he stood up with his arms wrapped around his daughter. She wrapped her little legs around him and let him carry her. Nina, Shay, and Dawson were all in tears. That was the sweetest thing anyone had seen in a long time.

By the time the surgery was over, George and Sally were exhausted. That was a really tough surgery. They even had a few close calls on the operating table. No one gave up. Everyone fought through the obstacles.

"Good Job everyone. That was very close and everyone pushed through. I am proud of all of you and I appreciate your support and hard work" George thanked his surgical team.

"Dr. Catalina, you and Dr. De Luca are the one doctors who actually care about us. If we are going to work for anyone, we are going to work for you two. You don't have to thank us. It is our honor to work with you and help save Dr. De Luca" the charge nurse, Annie said.

George and Sally smiled and looked around the whole OR. Everyone had nodded in agreement to what Annie said. They loved Michelina and George. They would fight with them to the death if they had to.

It was time to update the family. Nina stood up instantly when she saw George. She paled when she saw Sally. She's an OR, trauma nurse. She knew the people who worked in her OR/Trauma rooms. She knew what it meant when someone was paged.

"So, how was it doc?" Chief Boden asked.

"Sally, what are you doing here? Did something happen with her heart? Did she code?" Nina started panicking. Her mind was running a mile a minute. The firefighters were bouncing from her to George trying to figure out what happened. Clarke came over and put his hands on Nina's shoulders to try and calm her down.

George let out a stressed breath. "Yeah, she coded twice" George started. "OMG! Did she make it?" Nina asked. Kelly couldn't talk. He couldn't even see straight. His vision was getting blurry. He couldn't even imagine his life without Michelina in it, he couldn't lose her. It couldn't be that easy. Not for a fighter like Mia.

"We were able to revive her the second time," Sally continued, "I was called to observe and watch her heart in case she coded again, but she didn't," she reassured. She knew Nina would understand the double meaning.

"What does that mean? Is she okay or not?" Clarke asked.

"In English please" Hermann added.

George nodded, "Like Sally said. She coded twice but we revived her twice. She made it through the heart trauma. She's been admitted to the CCU. She's not out of the woods yet, not by a long shot. But we are hopeful that she'll pull through and make a full recovery. This whole hospital is pulling for her, so just let us know if you guys need anything. We'll keep an eye on her" he said shaking the Chief's hand before leaving the group.

Kelly fell into a chair and put his head in his hands. He couldn't hold it in anymore. He just let the damn break and started sobbing. No one judged. No one looked at him funny. No one said anything. Nina left Clarke and went to sit by her brother.

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him as he leaned over and cried in her lap. She just held him until he got it all out. He needed the guys support and he knew he would get it. There would be no question about it. 51 is a family.

After a minute, Kelly got himself together. "I need to see her" he said to no one in particular. Nina nodded and led him into the CCU. She had to swipe her badge to get in.

Nina stood outside the door, "you go in. I'll wait out here for you. We only have a few minutes though" she reminded him. Michelina needed her time to heal.

Kelly let out a nervous breath before pushing open the door and walking in. The room was dimly lighted. It smelled sterile and insanely clean. It was nauseating to anyone who wasn't used to it. Severide couldn't help the gasp that escaped him when he approached her bedside and was really able to see her since he pulled her out of the fire.

She had a bandage on her head and she looked like an angel with her hair fanned out around her on the inclined pillows. She looked pale, but slightly better than before. What really got him was the noise. She had a breathing tube along with all the other tubes and wires connected to her.

The incessant beeping of the machines monitoring her heart were putting Kelly on edge. He just stood there for a minute watching the heart monitor beep as he chest rose and fell with each heart-beat. He's never seen anything more beautiful.

He only had a few minutes until Nina came back to kick him out, so he pulled up the bedside chair and held her free hand in his own. He caressed the back of her hand with his fingers. He needed some contact. He needed to make sure she was really there. He bent forward and kissed her hand.

"I need you to wake up Mia. Please God, let her wake up and come back to me" he cried.

He never wanted anything more in his life than he did in that moment. He needed her to get better. Kelly got comfortable in the chair and kept his hand in hers. His eyes never left her monitors. He couldn't read her vitals, but he knew enough to know if there was rhythm, she was okay. He hoped to God, that she woke up soon.

After what seemed like forever, he heard a soft knock at the door. He turned to see his sister standing there with another doctor. "It's time to go Kell" she said.

He nodded and turned back to Michelina. He stood up and wiped his tears before bracing himself on the bed before leaning over her and kissing her forehead. "I love you Mia. If you can hear me, then hear that. Know that you got the whole hospital, the whole firehouse pulling for you. More importantly, you got me and Katie pulling for you. She needs her mom and I need my girl back. So don't wait too long to come back to us. We are waiting for you" he kissed her cheek before standing up and reached around his neck.

He took off his necklace and gave it to Nina. "Put this on her please" he begged. She could see the desperation in her brother's eyes. She nodded and smiled at him while wiping her tears. "Don't worry, Bobby is going to stay with her tonight until I come back tomorrow. She won't be alone" Nina promised.

Kelly nodded and gave his sister a kiss on the top of her head and walked out. He had to get out of there. The smell, the pressure of the situation, the sight of Michelina lying on that bed hopeless, lifeless hit him all at once.

He pushed his way into the lobby and caught sight of everyone. They watched and knew it was all hitting him at once. He couldn't hold it in anymore. He looked like he was trying to catch his breath. He ran to the closest bathroom and gripped the counter trying to wipe it all away.

Casey ran in behind him. He could see how his friend was struggling. Casey turned the water on cold and held Kelly's head over the sink as he splashed some cold water on his face. "Breathe Kelly. Just Breathe. Everything will be okay" he said over and over.

Kelly took some deep breaths and started to get himself together again. "You didn't see her Matt. She looked so lifeless. Not the like the girl I know. Not my Mia" he cried.

Matt patted Kelly on the back. "Hey, we all love Mia. We are pulling for her to pull through this and she will. She is far too stubborn to let this be the one to get her and you and I know it" Casey tried to reassure his friend.

"You didn't see her Casey. How the hell am I supposed to take care of a little girl? I didn't exactly have a good role model. It's a miracle Nina turned out as good as she did. I can't do this without Mia" he said.

"Kelly listen to me, Michelina is going to pull through this. As for taking care of Katie, that girl is so smart, she can probably take care of you" he teased.

Kelly let out a little laugh and got a hold of himself. "Let's do this" he said. Casey nodded and followed him out.

They were met by an angered Scott Clemmens. "You can't restrict me from her room. I am a doctor at this hospital. I have more power and access here. I can make your life a living hell. You are an intern here" he yelled at the intern.

"I am sorry Dr. Clemmens but I am not your intern. I am Dr. Catalina's intern and he has listed certain people allowed to see Dr. De Luca while she recovers and you are not on that list. She has just recovered from major surgery and if anyone should understand that, it should be a self-proclaimed trauma God like yourself. She needs time to rest and recuperate. If you have a problem with that, take it up with Dr. Catalina and Dr. Adams" she said.

"This is not the end of this conversation" he replied before storming off. He stopped when he saw Kelly. "This is all your fault. If you only would have gotten her out of the building before it exploded, she wouldn't be in the CCU right now" he yelled.

Before Severide had a chance to defend himself, Katie ran to her dad's defense. She didn't have any more patience for this guy. She really didn't like him. Messing with her dad was the final straw. "Hey, you don't get to yell at my dad. My mom was trying to help that lady when the building went down. You weren't here. My mom wanted me to be nice to you but that's enough. You don't get to yell at my dad for saving my mom when you did nothing. You need to respect my mom's wishes and leave her alone" she argued.

Everyone looked on with mixed emotions. They looked shocked and amused all at the same time. Kelly picked up his daughter and held her. "You can't talk to me like that you little brat" Scott argued with a 6 year old.

Clarke took Katie from Severide as Kelly rounded on the doctor and got in his face. "You better listen to me close because I am only going to say this once. If you ever talk to my daughter like that again. If I hear you even thought about coming close to see Michelina or even breathe her name, I will be coming after you and I can promise you that they won't find a hair from your head. Do you understand? Your relationship with my girl ends right now. Am I clear? Anything I need to clear up?" Kelly asked with the guys standing at his back.

They would back him up in a heartbeat. Even Chief De Luca looked on amused. It was about time the young lieutenant fought for his family back. They belonged together. Everyone saw that.

Once Scott took his leave, Kelly took his daughter back and smiled at her. "Are you sure you're 6?" he asked. She looked at him like he had 3 heads. "Yeah I am sure. Why?" she asked confused. Kelly let out a little laugh and gave her a kiss on her forehead, "you are too smart for your own good."

Everyone took their leave. The Chief gave Kelly as much time as he needed. In reality, that was only a few days. Kelly still didn't really know where he fit into Michelina's life, let alone Katie's. He had no idea how to be a dad. This was all new to him.

Johnny and Chief De Luca stood with Kelly and Katie in the parking lot. They didn't know what was going to happen from here on out, but they figured Kelly wanted to be included.

"So, you staying with me or grandpa kiddo?" Johnny asked Katie.

Katie shook her head and looked at Kelly and Shay, "Can I go with daddy and Aunt Shay?" she asked. Really asking her dad. She didn't know if he would be in her life. Her mom told her that he didn't really know how to be a daddy yet. That's why he didn't know about her. He needed time. She figured six years was enough time.

Kelly really didn't know what to say, so Shay stepped in for him. "Of course you can stay with us. But you have to promise to help me with something" she said.

Katie nodded and waited. Shay knelt down to her eye level, "I haven't had a sleepover in a while. You have to help me and show me what to do. You think you can do that?" Shay asked smiling as the little girls eyes brightened up. Katie nodded and launched herself at Shay.

After getting her buckled in the booster seat, he got from Johnny, they headed to their apartment. It wasn't really equipped for a little girl, but Shay helped out. After getting into pj's, Kelly just stood back and watched as Katie and Shay turned their living room upside down.

Katie was laying with her dad against the couch watching _Frozen_ when it was time for bed. "Dad, can you tell me a story?" she asked.

Kelly looked down at her and shrugged. "I don't really know how but I guess I could try" he said taking a minute for her to get comfortable against him as he thought about what to tell her.

"Okay, you ready?" he asked.

"Ready" she replied.

_**Story**_

_Once Upon a Time, there was a prince and a princess. They lived in a faraway kingdom. This prince and princess didn't really like each other. They had close friends, but personally they didn't really like each other. _

_One day, word of a magical ball spread through the kingdom. The prince and princess were really excited to go. They wanted to go and spend the night with their friends. _

_The princess spent all day with her friend shopping looking for pretty dresses for the ball. They were really excited to get dressed in really pretty ball gowns and spend the night dancing away._

_The night of the ball, the prince and the princess were standing on the dance floor waiting for a partner to dance with. All their friends were dancing and having a good time. They wanted to join in the fun. _

_The prince started looking around the room for someone to dance with him. That's when his gaze landed on the princess. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She had a rose colored gown on, silver shoes and her hair was up in curls with little diamonds in it. She looked like an angel._

_From that first look, the prince knew she would always be his princess_

_**End Story**_

Kelly finished telling the story and looked down to see Katie fast asleep curled under the blanket. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Goodnight angel" he said before slowly detangling himself from her.

He found Shay in the kitchen cleaning up, so he made his way over and sat at the island. She handed him a beer and stood across from him.

"That story was about you and Mia wasn't it?" she asked. She had an idea, but she wanted to be sure. She wanted Kelly to open up about him and Michelina. He never has and she doesn't think he ever will.

"Yeah, that's when I first knew that I loved her" he said getting up and grabbing a beer. He wanted to avoid the conversation that he knew was coming.

"You never talk about her you know" Shay observed.

Kelly finished his beer off and turned to lean on the counter. "It's complicated Shay" he replied before moving to the stairs. He just wanted to get his pajama's on and spend as much time with his daughter as possible.

"That doesn't mean you can't talk about it, it just means there's more to the story than meets the eye" Shay added. She wasn't giving up.

"Yes it does Shay. Just drop it" he replied as he continued to move. He knew that if he stopped, she would corner him and make him talk to her.

Shay followed him quietly upstairs, "Kelly it would help you to talk about it" she pressed even further.

Kelly turned around and fumed. If looks could kill Shay would be six feet under. "I don't want to talk about it Shay. Just leave it alone" he said with gritted teeth.

"You never want to talk about it Kelly. Why is that?" she asked.

"BECAUSE I SCREWED IT UP OKAY!" he yelled at her.

Shay was taken aback. She never thought he would actually open up with her. "What are you talking about? You seem to have a great relationship with her" she replied.

He let out a nervous breath and wiped a hand over his face.

"It took us years to get through it. After we got married, I started dreaming of Squad and Mia was looking at Medical Schools. She was graduating from college and she wanted to start with medical school. She applied to a research program for a couple months and she loved it. I was obsessed with Squad. I wanted it so bad. Mia helped me out you know. She worked out with me, pushed me to be the very best. I was taking her dreams away. I was keeping her from her dreams" he held his head in his hands and wiped his hand over his face.

"I saw how happy she was when she came home from the research program. She loved helping people. It was her calling. I couldn't keep her from her dreams. I didn't want to let her go but I had to so I did the only thing I knew would make her leave. I knew she wouldn't leave on her own, so helped her out" he said putting his head in his hands.

This was not something he was exactly proud of. That's why he doesn't like to talk about it. He made a stupid decision and it cost him the love of his life.

"What did you do Kelly?" Shay asked. She knew her roommate and she knew he could do some stupid things without thinking. She cringed thinking about what he could do if he actually thought about it. "I asked her out on a date night. She met me after work, so I met her there. The only catch was that I was with Renee and told Mia that I asked her there" he said.

Shay gasped and put her hand over her mouth. "Are you serious Kelly? I would have killed you if you did that to me" she said.

He nodded, "yeah she almost did. She was about to tear me a new one when she grabbed me for support and buckled over in pain. I picked her up and took her to the hospital. One of the doctors looked at her and said it was just stomach cramps from stress. Now I know that she was stressed and pregnant and having cramps which made her have the pain" he explained before letting out a breath.

Shay could tell he wasn't finished, so she just came over and sat next to him. Anyone could see that this was hard for him, so she patiently and comfortingly rubbed his back. He needed all the support he could get.

"She said she was okay, that they were just regular cramps. She told me that she would just tell people that we wanted different things in life. After what I did to her, she still sticks up for me. She still wanted to look out for me" he cried, wiping his tears as Shay wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"It's okay Kelly" she tried to comfort him.

Kelly shook his head and got up to get himself together. "No, it's not. I totally screwed her over and she just gave me a pass and let me follow my dreams. I was so focused on Squad and making my dream come true, I forgot about her and her dreams. I couldn't do that anymore, I had to let her follow her dreams and that was what I wanted her to do" he said.

"Kelly, she'll be okay. She turned out great. She's tough and strong. She will make it through this. We are all behind you and we know that you are all behind her" she replied.

He nodded and wiped his tears, "I know. I have to be strong for her because she's my world Shay. I can't lose her" he added.

Shay smiled, "you won't. Now you just have to get yourself together and be a good support system for her and be a good dad. She's going to need you a lot and it's your decision whether or not you are going to be there for her" she said.

She knew that Kelly wouldn't back down from a challenge. It wasn't in his nature. "I am going to be there for her and I am going to win her back. She was my wife and that is my daughter downstairs. They are my family and they are going to stay that way" he declared.

And that was all that needed to be said on the subject. Kelly Severide had a long road ahead of him if he was going to win Michelina back. He knew he would need a team. The guys at the Firehouse would help him out, but he needed someone in Mia's close circle. Nina obviously, but he wanted someone in her trust bubble. He wanted to do things the right way. He needed a game changer in his corner.

**JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ**

**DUN DUN DUN! Who is the game changer Kelly is talking about? Will he win Michelina's heart back? Review and Stay tuned to find out!**


	5. Chapter 5- Game Changer

**Hey everyone! Thanks for reading and taking interest in my story. If you are new to my story, thanks for giving it a try.**

**I am just a student who is a huge fan of Chicago Fire and more specifically, Kelly Severide, Taylor Kinney.**

**So we left off with Michelina in the hospital, Kelly being her emergency contact. He wants her back and wants to be better for his daughter.**

**This chapter will have more Scott/Michelina/Nina/Clarke interactions and Kelly/Katie interactions. **

**Hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading, please review.**

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_**Previously…**_

"I know. I have to be strong for her because she's my world Shay. I can't lose her" he added.

Shay smiled, "you won't. Now you just have to get yourself together and be a good support system for her and be a good dad. She's going to need you a lot and it's your decision whether or not you are going to be there for her" she said.

She knew that Kelly wouldn't back down from a challenge. It wasn't in his nature. "I am going to be there for her and I am going to win her back. She was my wife and that is my daughter downstairs. They are my family and they are going to stay that way" he declared.

And that was all that needed to be said on the subject. Kelly Severide had a long road ahead of him if he was going to win Michelina back. He knew he would need a team. The guys at the Firehouse would help him out, but he needed someone in Mia's close circle. Nina obviously, but he wanted someone in her trust bubble. He wanted to do things the right way. He needed a game changer in his corner.

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**Chapter 4- The game changer**

The next morning, Kelly got up first. Usually he goes for a run in the morning, but not that morning. He just laid there for a minute staring at the ceiling. It took him a minute to realize that he was in the living room of his apartment. It took him another minute to remember everything that happened the night before.

He looked over his side and smiled at his little girl sleeping soundly next to him curled under the blankets. He couldn't help but watch her sleep. She was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen. The existence of her just made his regret hit him like a ton of bricks.

All he could think about was all the wrong he did to her mom. How he didn't even know he had a daughter until a couple days ago. He couldn't believe he went on 6 years without even a second thought. He knew Michelina had cramps that day. He could tell there was more to her story, but he didn't give it a second thought. He just let her go.

The squeak of the floor broke him out of his thought. He turned to see Shay coming down the stairs. She smiled at the sight of them. It was a heart melting sight to seen. She knew that it meant a lot to Kelly when Johnny let him take Katie for the night. It meant a lot to him to be able to spend time with his daughter.

He got up and followed Shay to the kitchen. He knew she wanted to say something. She had that look on her face that Kelly grew to hate. "What's the look for? I know you want to say something so just say it and keep it down because my little girl is sleeping" he said without even realizing he said it.

Shay couldn't help but keep the smile off her face. "You just said your little girl. Kelly you have a little girl. I just can't believe how calm you are right now. I mean, your life just took a 360 change and it's like you don't have any emotion about it" she said.

He shrugged and got out the orange juice. "I know that my life has changed. I can't help that fact that I am a dad now. I have responsibilities that I didn't have before. To be honest, yeah I am scared shitless, but there is nothing I can do. I just have to take things day by day. Do my best I can do. All I hope is that Michelina will let me be in her life. I just want to be the best dad I can be" he said.

She smiled and wiped her tears. "So, ready to make breakfast? God knows I could use your help. I don't want to give my daughter food poisoning the time I ever met her" he teased. Shay knew that was just a mechanism to hide his emotion but she knew he wouldn't open up anymore.

"Yeah let's make some breakfast" she went into the fridge and pulled out some eggs and bacon. She didn't know what Katie liked to eat. Kelly pulled out the fruit cutlets and put them on the table. He set up the island and got breakfast ready.

They were scrambling the eggs when they heard the rustling of sheets. Kelly walked over and smiled at his daughter. She rubbed her eyes with her hands and looked around the room. She caught Kelly's gaze and smiled. "Hi daddy" she greeted still half asleep. Kelly reached over and scooped her into his arms. "Good morning princess" he held her and kissed her temple.

She rested her head in the crook of his neck. It was no surprise she was still tired. They had a big day the day before and they didn't get home and into bed until late. He carried her over to the kitchen and sat down on one of the stools.

"Morning little one" Shay greeted.

Katie turned in her dad's arms. She rested her head against his chest and just laid back against him. "Hi" she replied. She was cozy in her dad's arms. She didn't really want to move.

"So we didn't really know what you like for breakfast, so we have some options here. A full balanced breakfast" Shay informed.

Katie looked at all the food and nodded. "Mama usually makes me eat a full breakfast because she says that you get strong from breakfast" she explained.

Kelly smiled and tried to keep his tears at bay. He needed to be strong and reliable for his little girl. She needed someone to be constant for her right now and Kelly wanted to be that person. It was the least he could do for her after all these years.

"Well your mom is right. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" Shay agreed, giving Kelly some time to collect himself.

"Are we going to see mommy today? I want to tell her about our slumber party" she asked. Kelly let out a deep breath and turned her over in his arms while Shay went back to cooking. They couldn't help it. That little girl knew what buttons to push to bring even the most serious person to tears.

"Listen monkey, your mom needs as much rest as possible. She is going to be asleep for a while so she can get better. While she's sleeping, the doctors are giving her medicine and keeping an eye on her. They want her to be as calm as possible, so they don't want anyone to visit her for a little while. They want some time with her" he explained as kid friendly as possible.

Katie nodded, "so can you see her? I don't want her to be alone. Mommy told me that she has a lot of patients who are alone and so she stays with them at the hospital. I don't want mommy to be alone" she was on the verge of tears.

Kelly wrapped his arms around her in a hug. He kissed her temple and rubbed a hand up and down her back in comfort. "I promise you that when the doctor say it is okay, I am going to stay with your mommy. I don't want her to be alone either, so I told Nina and Bobby to stay with her. They are going to make sure she is okay. Nina promised to call if things change so I know a perfect way to honoring your mom" he said.

She pulled away and looked at him curious. "What?" she asked.

"Well when I and your mom were younger, she loved playing in the park. She always used to make us go to the park and play on the slide, the swing sets and even the monkey bars. I think it would make your mom really happy to know that we spent the day at the park" he suggested.

She smiled, "okay" she replied. Kelly got her situated at the table and put some eggs, bacon and fruit in front of her. He wanted to get a full balanced breakfast in her before their day.

She really didn't have any clothes at Kelly's and he didn't want to ask the chief for Michelina's house key, so he decided to shop for her. He really didn't know anything about girl's clothes and didn't really have any experience shopping for little girls. He was more a boy's boy kind of guy.

He didn't know how long she would be staying with them, so he wanted to be prepared. He wanted her to have as much as she needed. He wanted her to have whatever she wanted.

Shay did a little digging into her clothes from the day before and got a sense of sizes and style. She made Kelly a list to make it easier for him. She said she just put the basics, but Kelly was already overwhelmed with all the things on the list. Multiple pairs of jeans, shorts, sweatshirts, a little coat, sandals, tennis shoes, socks and underwear. It was a lot of stuff. He might as well just buy the entire girls department.

"Alright kiddo, I am going to go get you some clothes and stuff. What's your favorite color? Do you want anything specific?" he asked.

She shrugged and took a minute to think. "Rainbows. I like the shiny colors" she informed. Kelly couldn't help but laugh. He was good with bright, shiny colors. She seemed like an easy kid. Given the circumstances, he knew she would be happy with whatever he got for her. Shay was going to give her a bath while he was gone, so they would be ready to go when he got back. It was cute how excited Shay was to have a little girl in the house. He hoped she got her dream come true and have a baby.

Kelly went to the mall and made his way into Justice, a little girl's store. He pulled out his list and started walking around the store. He was trying to find everything that he needed. There was so much stuff that he just kind of stood there confused.

One of the sales ladies watched him from the moment he walked in the store. She could see that he was confused. He was looking at the clothes like they were aliens. He had no idea where to start.

She smiled and walked over to him. She figured he could use some help. "Excuse me, can I help you find something?" she asked. He looked at her almost relieved. She couldn't help but smile at his relief. "Yeah, I am trying to find some clothes and stuff for my daughter. I never really shopped for her before. She likes bright, shiny colors" he informed.

She nodded and started to lead him through the store. She pointed out different racks and sections she thought he would like. It was a lot easier with her help. She knew exactly where to look and what to get. At the end of the shopping trip, Kelly got enough girl things to last him a lifetime. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of his house overflowing with girly stuff. He would never admit it, but he was excited for it.

"Thank you so much for your help" Kelly thanked the sales person.

She smiled, "it's no problem. It's my job. I hope your daughter likes the clothes we picked out. I tried to stay with the color scheme" she replied.

Kelly waved off her concern. "I am sure she's going to love it. She's a pretty easy going kid" he informed.

Amy nodded, "well bring her by next time. I would love to meet the little girl that made Lt. Kelly Severide venture into unknown girly territory" she teased.

Kelly looked at her a little shocked when she said his name. Immediately guilt rose through him. He didn't think he ever hooked up with her, but who was he kidding, he didn't remember all their names.

Amy smiled and couldn't help but laugh at the look he was giving her. He was trying to figure out how they knew each other. She figured he wouldn't recognize her, it's been a while. "Amy Adams, sister of your partner, Mike Adams from the fire academy" she stuck her hand out.

Kelly let out a breath of relief and shook her hand. "Nice to see you again. Sorry I couldn't remember you. It's been awhile since I thought of the fire academy days" he apologized.

It was her turn to wave off his apology. "No problem. I haven't thought about it either. Imagine my surprise to see Mr. Playboy himself walk into this little boutique" she teased.

He blushed pink and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I had to get some stuff for my daughter. She's staying with me and she doesn't have anything at my house" he explained.

"Well, she must be a pretty special little girl to have you wrapped around her finger. Bring her in next time. I would love to meet her" she handed him the bag of purchases.

"Thanks Amy for all your help. Tell Mikey I said hi. Tell him to stop by the firehouse sometime. I would love to see him, catch up" he said.

She nodded, "you got it" she waved as he walked out. She couldn't help but watch him leave. He had a good looking ass. She knew he had a daughter, but that didn't mean he wasn't still gorgeous.

When he got back to the apartment, he found Shay and Katie in the living room on the floor drawing pictures. When the door opened, she looked up and squealed. She got up and ran to her dad. "Daddy!" she ran into his legs and wrapped her arms around them.

Kelly laughed, "hey kiddo. Want to see what I got you?" he asked. He was really excited about what he got her. He thought he did well for his first time.

She pulled away a little and he knelt down in front of her. He pulled out the clothes and toys and showed them to her. "So, what do you think monkey?" he asked. She smiled bright and her eyes widened big as he pulled out the items one at a time. She was so happy.

"Thanks daddy" she wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. He wrapped one arm around her and picked her up in his good arm.

"You're welcome kiddo. You ready to go change and get going?" he wanted to get this show on the road.

Shay wanted Kelly to learn to raise Katie, so she let him change her and get her ready. He helped her out of his t-shirt he gave her. She picked out a pair of jean shorts and a pink, Cinderella tank top. It was hot out, so Kelly thought it was fine. He helped her into the jeans and tank top.

He pulled out a pair of socks and the pink and white tennis shoes he bought her. He plopped her on his bed and put her socks on first then her tennis shoes and tied them. He stood up and was ready to go. She looked up at him expectantly.

"Daddy you have to fix my hair" she said.

"Oh, right" he replied.

He nodded and sat on the edge of the bed and put her on his lap. He grabbed a brush off his dresser and brushed her hair. He pulled out his phone and googled how to do pigtails. "Our secret" he said. She smiled and nodded. He watched how they separated the hair down the middle and then tied each part. It was easy once he figured it out.

"There, anything else?" he asked. He was new to this dad stuff. He didn't know what else needed to be done. "Nope. I'm ready" she said with a big smile.

Kelly laughed and picked her up in his arms. "Alright, Aunt Shay is going pack us some snacks and stuff so we are ready to go" he said.

They made their way downstairs to see Shay packing the cute pink little duffle bag that Kelly bought. She packed some extra clothes for Katie, some water bottles, some snacks and some wipes. She wanted to make sure they had everything.

"Hey guys, ready to go?" she asked.

Kelly put Katie down and put her little sweatshirt on. "We are all set" he said as he grabbed the bag from Shay and put it around his shoulder. He put out his hand and took ahold of Katie's. He got her buckled in the car and they were off.

He took her to a local park near the firehouse. He pulled up to the parking lot and they got out. He lifted her up and put her on the trunk of the car. He pulled out the bag Shay packed and set it next to her. He pulled out the sunscreen.

"Okay princess, we have to put on some sunscreen so we don't get burned okay?" he asked applying the lotion to her skin. Once she was ready, he carried her down and held her hand.

The playground was huge. It was three sections. One was for swings and a little jungle gym with a slide for little kids. The middle section was for younger kids and the last section was the more difficult stuff, which was for older kids.

Kelly looked down at Katie and smiled when he saw her wide eyes staring at all there was to do. She was so excited. He was happy to see her smile. Kelly felt like a little kid. He loved playgrounds.

"So what do you want to do first kiddo?" he asked.

She just looked up at him and smiled. They started off in the kiddie playground. Instead of sitting on the bench while Katie played, Kelly was right there with her.

They started off with the swings and jungle gym. It didn't take long for her to make friends with the other little kids there.

They were going on the swings, slides, jungle gym. She was having the time of her life. She was having so much fun. "Daddy look, I'm on the swings" she squealed. He leaned against the swing set and smiled, "I see. Can you reach the clouds?" he asked. She pushed herself faster and smiled and laughed when Kelly ran in front of her and acted like he was going to tickle her.

He was happy she was enjoying herself so much. By late afternoon, they moved on to the middle playground. It had more to do. Katie stood in front of the slide and just stared at it. Kelly came up next to her and knelt down to her level.

"What are you thinking kiddo?" he asked.

He knew she would be scared to go on the big stuff. They were for kids older than her. He wanted her to know that she should face her fears. He didn't want her to be afraid to do anything in her life. He didn't want anything to hold her back.

"That's a big slide daddy" she said.

"Yeah but it's just the other one. The only thing that changed is the size" he explained.

She still looked doubtful. "Will you go with me?" she asked.

Kelly smiled and stood up and reached out his hand. They made their way up the jungle gym with Katie freezing at the entrance of the slide. She looked terrified.

"I'll be right here" Kelly said.

He sat down first and helped Katie to sit in his lap. "You're going to hold me right?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around his and brought them around her. Kelly let out a little laugh and tightened his arms around her. "Don't worry, I got you" he said.

Once he was situated, he pulled her closer to him, "you ready?" he asked. She nodded and tightened her arms around his. Kelly used his legs to inch his way forward to the slide. He gave himself a little push and they slid down.

She squealed and tightened around her dad. Once they were at the end of the slide, Kelly was sitting on the edge and pulled away from the a little. She turned and smiled at him. "That was so much fun dad. Thanks for going with me" she gave him a little hug.

"No problem kiddo. I told you I would always be there to protect you. Hey it's getting kind of hot, what do you say we go have some lunch and then find a pool huh?" he asked.

She smiled, "okay" she agreed.

They pulled out cooler from the trunk and led her over to one of the benches. He sat her on the smaller seat and pulled out the food. Once everything was set up, he sat down and put her on his lap so she could reach.

Shay made them sandwiches, chips, fruit and some juice boxes. She always packed some water bottles to refill their own personal water bottles. Kelly set up her lunch first. He unwrapped her sandwiches, put some grapes and chips on the foil for her.

After lunch, Kelly scooped up the cooler and held her in his arms. They made their way out of the park and into Wal-Mart. It was close to 80 degrees and Kelly thought it would be a good idea to get a little pool to set up in the backyard for Katie to play in.

He walked straight to the toy isle. He started looking at all the different pools and summer toys. He didn't want one too big or too small.

"Excuse me, I am trying to find a pool for my daughter and some toys and bathing suit and stuff. Can you help me out?" he asked the sales person.

The lady smiled at Kelly and Katie. "Okay, are you looking for something girly or something generic? Do you want one with a filter or just a little kiddie pool?" she asked.

Kelly looked at Katie for her answer. "Flowers and hearts" she said. Kelly let out a little laugh. "I think that means a girly pool. We don't have a lot of room, so nothing too big but I want a nice size pool. Something that's going to last all summer. We also need some toys and a bathing suit" Kelly informed.

Robin nodded and waved her hand, "follow me" she directed them towards the right stuff. They ended up getting a pink pool with a beach scene around it and little sea animals that glow in the dark and change colors when the water is filled.

Kelly picked out some arm floats, some rings, little noodles, a beach ball…and other toys he thought were necessary for his daughter. He also loaded up on sunscreen and aloe vera.

Next, Robin led him and Katie over to the clothing section. She helped them pick out a bathing suit. A purple bikini with Cinderella on it. They got the matching hat, cover-up and sandals. Kelly picked out two of everything so she could have enough stuff at his house.

"Thanks for all your help" he said to her.

She smiled and laughed at all the stuff they accumulated. "It was my pleasure. I hope you enjoy the pool" she said to Katie. "Thank you" she replied.

After cashing out, Kelly made his way home. He ignored the jibes from Shay about how much he bought and deposited his daughter in the living room. She and Shay watched as he tried to set it up. It took him an hour to figure out how to attach the pump.

"Why don't we call Uncle Matt?" Shay asked Katie.

The little girl nodded and went out to help her dad. "Can I help?" she asked.

Kelly smiled at her dressed in her cover up, ready to go for a swim. "Sure princess" he handed her some floaters and showed her which button to press on the pump.

Matt came over and held out the phone to show Shay the interesting SOS he got from Kelly. Shay led him into the backyard and laughed at the scene before them.

Katie sat next to Kelly in the middle of the pool blowing up the floaters and playing with the toys. Kelly was trying to figure out why the pump wasn't working on the pool.

"I came just in time" he called out getting his attention.

Kelly looked over and glared at Matt. "HAHA! Very funny. I just need your help getting this set up. It's hot as hell and I want her to cool off" he said.

Matt sat down and tore the directions from Kelly. With Matt looking over the directions and helping Kelly out, they managed to get the pool set up within the hour. It was great.

Kelly helped Katie into the pool and sat next to her. Shay took out her phone and started snapping some pictures. She sent them to Nina. She wanted the Severide sister to know how much Kelly was enjoying himself.

It was great, really fun. After a couple hours in the pool, Kelly grilled them all some burgers and Shay made them some fries and a salad. When they were done eating, Matt had to go back to the firehouse so they called it a night.

Kelly packed Katie's bag and got her ready to take back to her uncle's house. She gave Shay a big hug and grabbed her dad's hand. They made it to Johnny's in not time. Kelly was sad to see her go, but he knew he would see her again. He was her dad and he wanted to start acting like it.

Kelly had one more mission on his mind for the day before he went to the hospital. He pulled up the familiar house and parked in the driveway. He let out a big breath and got out. He walked up the driveway and knocked on the door.

The person opened the door and Kelly began his speech. He had this all planned out. He needed this to work.

"Hey Chief, I have something to say. You don't have to say anything, just listen because I need to get this out. I know that my actions in the past have brought Mia so much pain and I know that you probably hate me for that. Mia has been the best of friend to me. She stuck with me when I was selfish and put my own needs before hers for a long time. Look I just want to say that Mia is really important to me and so is Katie. They mean the world to me. Always have. All I have ever wanted for her was for her to be happy. It didn't matter to me whether we were together or apart I just want her to be happy. I am sorry chief, but we both know that Scott doesn't make her happy. I want her back and I will grovel, crawl my way back into her life if I have to, but I am going to be in her life. I would prefer to do it with your help. Mia is stubborn and the more on my band wagon, the better" he said all at once.

The chief just smirked and raised the beer bottle to his lips. "It took you long enough to fight for my daughter and your child" he said.

That threw Kelly off. He wasn't expecting that. "So you'll help me?" he asked. The chief laughed and nodded, "yeah I'll help you. First off, you need to get back on her good graces and for that I feel sorry you enough" the chief teased.

Kelly nodded, he knew that was going to be a tough one. He was determined to do it. Nothing was going to stand in the way of him getting his family back.


	6. Chapter 6-Kelly and Michelina Love Story

**Hi everyone, thanks for reading. I hope you are enjoying this story.**

**Okay so in the last chapter Kelly bore his soul out to the chief. With the chief on his side, how will Kelly win Michelina's heart? Will she let him back in? **

**Stay tuned to find out!**

**Enjoy and Please Review!**

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_**Previously…**_

"Hey Chief, I have something to say. You don't have to say anything, just listen because I need to get this out. I know that my actions in the past have brought Mia so much pain and I know that you probably hate me for that. Mia has been the best of friend to me. She stuck with me when I was selfish and put my own needs before hers for a long time. Look I just want to say that Mia is really important to me and so is Katie. They mean the world to me. Always have. All I have ever wanted for her was for her to be happy. It didn't matter to me whether we were together or apart I just want her to be happy. I am sorry chief, but we both know that Scott doesn't make her happy. I want her back and I will grovel, crawl my way back into her life if I have to, but I am going to be in her life. I would prefer to do it with your help. Mia is stubborn and the more on my band wagon, the better" he said all at once.

The chief just smirked and raised the beer bottle to his lips. "It took you long enough to fight for my daughter and your child" he said.

That threw Kelly off. He wasn't expecting that. "So you'll help me?" he asked. The chief laughed and nodded, "yeah I'll help you. First off, you need to get back on her good graces and for that I feel sorry you enough" the chief teased.

Kelly nodded, he knew that was going to be a tough one. He was determined to do it. Nothing was going to stand in the way of him getting his family back.

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**Chapter 6- Kelly and Mia the Love Story**

Kelly walked into the firehouse with mixed feelings. He called Nina on his way in to check on Michelina. Things weren't looking too good. They were hoping she would regain consciousness by now, but she hasn't. Nina told him not to worry that she would be there to make sure Mia was taken care of.

He loved his sister and knew she just wanted to look out for him, but he was worried. He's never had to deal with this before. Michelina was always the strong, confident girl that kept everything in. He's never seen her so helpless. He just wanted her to get better.

All shift he couldn't really concentrate. His mind kept jumping from Mia to Katie, to his plan to win her back. He was all over the place.

In the common room, Gabby and Shay had gathered the firefighters around. They were all worried about Kelly. Shay filled them in on their night with Katie and how regretful Kelly was. "I'm worried about him" Shay started the conversation.

"Me too. I made his favorite lunch and he barely touched it. We need to do something" Gabby added.

"What are we supposed to do? It's Severide. He doesn't exactly talk about his feelings" Otis informed.

"You are not helping" Shay snapped at him.

While everyone else was arguing about how to help Kelly, Matt silently backed out and made his way up to the officers' quarters.

He found Kelly in his office pretending to go over paperwork. Matt knew better. The man could barely focus on eating, how was he supposed to focus on paperwork. Matt just leaned against the doorway and watched as Kelly's brain went a mile a minute.

"You know there is a reason you are a firefighter and not a brain surgeon" Matt said announcing his presence.

Kelly turned toward the door and watched as Matt came in and shut the door behind him. He knew the other lieutenant wanted to know what was going on with him. Everyone wanted to know what was going on with him.

"I don't know what to do man? I am at a loss" he said.

Matt immediately got worried. He's never seen Kelly so lost. "What's really going on man? I mean you can talk to me. I know we aren't exactly on the best terms, but I would like to think we are friends, so talk to me. Otherwise, the raging coup downstairs is about to come up here and demand answers" he teased.

Kelly couldn't help but crack a smile. They were like family at 51 and he knew everyone was worried about him.

"I went and talked to Chief De Luca yesterday. I basically told him that no matter what he thought, I was going to win Michelina back and be in her and Katie's life" Kelly blurted out.

Matt was a loss for words. He was shocked. There was not a lot that Kelly was afraid of, but the chief was one of those things. Sharing his feelings was another.

"Well, honestly I am at a loss for words, but you're still alive so what happened?" Matt asked.

Kelly laughed, "Yeah well so was I. When Shay and I were watching Katie last night, she wanted to do everything. She was curious about everything. God, she's so smart, she's just like Mia. Before bed, she wanted a story. She said it had to be romantic and it had to happen in real life. She didn't want any fairy tales that would never happen. Matt she looked up at me and said she was glad that I met Mia because she's glad that I am her dad" he informed.

Matt already knew where this was going. He could practically read the emotion on Kelly's face. No need to say anything else.

"I barely know her and she is glad that I am her dad. I couldn't really say anything. The only thing I could do was tell her that I would always be there for her and that I was sorry it took me so long to be a dad" he said.

"Kelly, it's not exactly like it's only your fault that you didn't know she was yours. You are doing your best that you can to remedy the situation. Don't be too hard on yourself. Now are you going to tell me what you talked to the chief about? What the hell do you mean 'I'm getting Michelina back?" Matt asked.

"Well when I was with Katie, it made me think that I really want to get to know her. She's her own little person. I need to be in her life and being in her life, means that I need to be in Michelina's life. I am going to win her back. I just don't know how yet" he said.

Matt smirked, "well it's about time you decided to man up. I'm all for this man. Let's do this. What do you need me to do?" Matt asked.

Kelly laughed and shrugged. "I don't have a written plan yet you control freak. Relax, I'll let you know when I figure out what I am going to do" he teased.

Matt glared and shook his head at their antics. They were just like they used to be. Well, getting there at least. "Well the first thing I suggest is getting rid of doctor pansy ass" Matt said.

"Yeah, that I can do. She belongs with me, not a pansy ass who doesn't know the difference between squad and truck. That's not who she belongs with. She belongs with someone who can take care of her and that's me. I just need to figure out how to get rid of the doctor" he said.

Well at least Matt helped him think of a beginning to his plan. Getting rid of Dr. Pansy Ass was his first mission this battle back to Michelina's heart.

The shift was relatively quiet. They only had one big call.

**Truck 81, Ambulance 61, Battalion 25, Squad 3…Apartment Fire…**

All the guys jumped into action. They threw on their gear and got into their respective trucks. Once they rolled onto the scene, it was a mess. They knew they would need more help. Ambo called in for reinforcements.

They got the call at the hospital and sent Nina and Bobby. They were the trauma team. They had to go. By the time they got there, the whole firehouse was already at work.

There was a man standing on the outside of the building barely holding on. Kelly and Clarke were on two different aerials trying to hold him up and keep him steady.

They had the radio open. Nina opened her radio the right channel. "Severide, Clarke, what do we got?" she radioed in.

"He's in hysterics. I don't know if he's on something or he's in panic. He won't stop freaking out" Kelly replied over the radio.

"What's his pulse?" Bobby replied.

"It's real fast. He's starting to get really pale and his breathing is shallow" Clarke replied. He knew Nina. She needed details so she could think of what to do before she got to the patient. She loved to be prepared for everything. She hated surprises, but she knew how to deal with them when they arose.

"Chief we need to get up there" she said.

"You know what's wrong with him?" he asked.

She nodded, "it could be that he broke a rib which punctured his lung which could cause the shallow breathing. The hysteria is probably from the pain and the fact that he isn't getting enough oxygen to his brain. That's from panic or he's really on something. I need to wrap his ribs and if necessary, get him an airway" she informed on the open mic.

"I can only send one of you" the chief replied.

Both Chief Boden and Chief De Luca were there directing the scene. Clarke and Severide looked at each other and each replied at the same time.

"Bobby"

The chiefs laughed while Nina just rolled her eyes. They always worried about her, more so now because she's coming onto calls with them.

"I am the attending. Sorry boys, you may be in charge in the firehouse, but this is my trauma call and here, I'm in charge. It's my call not yours. I'm going up so do what you have to do chief because I'll be the one going up there" she said.

Chief D looked at Boden with a smirk. Boden turned to Capp and nodded. Capp got the line off the truck and hooked her up. She put her medical supply bag over her shoulder and grabbed Capp's hands as he helped lift her onto the truck.

Tony got on behind her and handed her what she needed. He supported the weight bag around the truck and got her situated. "You're good" he called.

"Okay Nina. Stay on the line and keep your mic open. If you need something or need to move just let me know. I'll be holding you the whole time okay" he explained.

She nodded and let out a deep breath. "Okay, let's do this. I need you guys to keep him as calm as possible" she said.

Kelly and Clarke tried to keep the guy as steady as possible. Ironically enough, Nina was on Clarke's ladder, so she crawled up next to him. "Hey guys, what's going on?" she asked.

"He's getting really pale Nina. He's gasping, like he can't catch his breath" Kelly informed.

"Okay, first thing is first. I need to start an IV. Capp, I'm going to be leaning back a little and setting up" she informed.

"You better have her Capp" Clarke growled into the radio.

Capp couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry Clarke, I got her. You're stable Nina" he informed.

All the guys on the floor were watching with worry and curiousness. They wanted to know what would happen.

Nina leaned back a little onto her knees and set the bag down in front of her. She took out her stethoscope and an IV kit. She set up the bag on the ladder and leaned over to insert the needle. She was known as the IV Queen at the hospital, so she got it on the first try.

"Sir, I am a doctor and I am going to help you. I gave you an IV, you are going to get some fluids in you. I need you to take slow shallow breaths and try to stay calm. We will get you down safely" she said.

"What's next Nina?" Clarke asked.

Nina took a minute to take in the situation and knew they weren't going to like her idea. "I need to wrap his ribs. The only problem is that I can't lean over to get all the way around. I know you guys are going to veto this but we don't have any other options and I need to do this if we are going to get him down still alive" she said.

"What is it?" Kelly asked.

"I need to get off the ladder. I need to get down to his level. Capp, I need you to hold me up while I repel down to his level" she said.

"NO!"

"ABSOLUTLEY NOT"

Both Kelly and Clarke protested at the same time. They didn't like the idea at all.

"I've got you Nina" Capp said.

She nodded and leaned forward to give Clarke a kiss real quick. "Just in case" she whispered against his lips. He couldn't move because he was holding up Trevor. He kissed her again, "for luck" he corrected.

She smiled and grabbed the wrap, the pins and put them in her jacket pocket. She took out her gloved and put them on. "Capp you ready?" she asked.

"You're good Nina. I got you. Don't worry. You aren't going anywhere" he knew she was nervous.

She nodded and held onto the rope for stability. She tenderly wrapped his ribs as tight as possible. She felt his abdominal cavity, she could feel something either broke or bruised. He needed an ultrasound or CT.

Once she was done and she knew that he was stable enough for transport, she grabbed her radio. "Dawson be ready. Bobby, call ahead and have them set up for an abdominal trauma. Possible broken ribs and constricted air way. Have them be ready for the possibility of a trach" she instructed.

Gabby, Shay and Bobby got to work. They got everything ready for Nina and Trevor. "Okay Capp, I'm good to get on the ground" she said.

Capp lowered himself to come up behind Nina. Clarke and Severide got Trevor on the backboard and slowly started to lower him down the ladder. Capp grabbed onto her rope and held onto her as they slowly made their way down the building.

Once she was on the ground, she turned and gave Capp a hug and kissed his cheek. "Thanks Capp" she said. "No problem beautiful" he teased.

She smiled and made her way over to Bobby and the medics. "We ready?" she asked. "Yeah, I called the hospital and Christine has everything set up. They are awaiting our arrival. You going with Dawson and Shay?" he asked.

"Yeah I'll go with the ambulance, you go with our ambo and I'll meet you at the hospital" she said. He nodded and made his way into the car.

Nina made her way to her brother and her boyfriend. She gave Kelly and hug and Clarke a kiss. "I love you both. Good job. I'll see you later" she said as Clarke wrapped his arm around her and squeezed her tight.

"I love you. Good Job princess" he gave her another kiss before watching her leave.

They made it to the hospital and got to work. Christine, Nina and Bobby got to work. They took him straight to radiology and then straight to the operating room. He had some internal bleeding and they needed to get it under control.

After shift the next morning, Kelly was exhausted. He had a rough night. With worrying about Michelina and dealing with Nina at the apartment fire had taken a toll on him. The better part of his night was spent on the phone with Katie. He talked to her and listened as she told him about her day and how much homework she had.

She was only in kindergarten and she thought she had so much to worry about. It brought a smile to his face.

In the morning after shift, Kelly changed out of his uniform and packed his bag. He planned to stay with Mia in the hospital. He wanted to relieve his sister and her interns. Nina was beyond exhausted and overworked and he was worried about her. Clarke told him how she wasn't sleeping through the night. She needed some time at home to herself.

He grabbed his bag and threw it over his good shoulder. Not that anyone knew but Shay, but his shoulder was still bothering him. He didn't want to tell the Chief and he was too scared to go get it checked out, so he just dealt with it his way.

He was on his way out when the chief called him into the office. Kelly didn't really have the patience. He wanted to get to the hospital as soon as possible.

"Yeah Chief?" He replied.

Chief Boden knew his lieutenant. He was anxious to get out of there. He knew the only place Kelly wanted to be was with Michelina. He didn't say much in regards to his emotions but everyone with eyes, knew that those two loved each other.

"I won't keep you long Kelly. I just wanted to know if you have an update on Michelina's condition. Any news?" he asked.

Kelly let out a big breath. "I called Nina after shift. It's not looking good chief. Nina said they expected her to wake up by now. She hasn't made any movements or physical improvements yet. Her levels are looking normal, but she hasn't woken up yet. They need her to wake up in order for them to better assess her injuries and how she'll get better" Kelly was really frustrated.

The chief put his hand on his young lieutenant's shoulder and squeezed it in comfort. "She'll be okay Kelly. I've known that little girl since she was 7 years old. When her dad came to work at 51 and we were at the academy together, he had no time for her. Johnny practically raised her and let me tell you that she is one hell of a fighter" Chief Boden tried to reassure.

Kelly nodded and let out a tired sigh. "I really hope so chief" he replied.

By the time Kelly got to the hospital, he was exhausted. He really hoped to get some good news on Michelina. Nina was at home on her break so he knew she wouldn't be there. He planned to find Bobby to get the details on her condition.

One of Michelina's residents recognized him first. "Excuse me, are you lieutenant Severide, Nina's brother?" he heard.

He walked over to the desk and nodded. "Yeah, I'm Kelly, Nina's older brother. Sorry, do I know you?" he asked.

The resident shook his head. "No, I am one of Dr. De Luca's residents. I'm Alex Moretti. Are you here to see Dr. De Luca?" Alex asked.

Kelly nodded and slumped on the desk. He needed good news. "Yeah, I talked to Nina last night before she left but she wasn't very optimistic. Please tell me there is good news" he practically begged.

"You tell him one thing about Dr. De Luca's condition and I'll report you for violating patient privacy. He's not family or related to the patient in any way. He has no right to know" Scott said as he came up to the desk and heard the conversation.

"He's her medical proxy" Alex retorted.

He didn't like Dr. Clemmens. No one really did. He treated everyone like crap and walked around the hospital like he owned the place. He acted like he was God's gift to medicine.

"And you are a resident" Scott smirked thinking he won.

"Well I'm not. I'm an attending just like you Scott. Better yet, I am Michelina's doctor and her friend. She made Kelly her medical proxy and you have to respect that. Now is not the time to be a jealous boyfriend. I can tell you right now that she is going to need Kelly and want Kelly to help her with her recovery so you either accept the fact that he is going to be in her life or save her the trouble later and leave now" George hissed.

He was sick and tired of Scott walking all over Michelina. It was about time for things to get back to the way they were supposed to be.

There was nothing Scott could even think to say, so he just walked away huffing. The residents, nurses, techs, pretty much everyone smirked and looked shocked. They couldn't believe that just happened.

George walked over and Alex clapped him on the back. "Way to go George" Alex complimented. George let out a little laugh. "Yeah, someone needed to get him to back off Mia. I just came back from her by the way" he informed.

Kelly was beyond ecstatic that Scott was now out of the way. The first part of his plan was out of the way and he didn't even have to get into it with Dr. Pansy.

"How's she doing George?" Kelly asked.

"Well, she is now breathing on her own, so we took out the breathing tube. She's just on an oxygen mask. That's a good sign Kelly. It may be small, but it's still an improvement. It's a step in the right direction" he informed.

Kelly nodded, "thanks. Thank you both for taking care of her. I know she would appreciate it. I am going to sit with her" he said making his way down the hall.

When Kelly made his way into the room, he stopped at the doorway. Johnny was in there with his sister. He was happy that she wasn't alone, he didn't want to intrude. He just stood in the doorway and waited.

"Tee, listen I don't really know if you can hear me but I'm here. I don't know if this is going to work. I mean this is your area not mine. You were always the smart one. The one who knew what she wanted," Johnny held her hand. "You are strong. You have a lot of people pulling for you. Even Kelly is here. I remember when you first told me that you loved him. I freaked out. No one was good enough for my sister," he let out a little laugh.

"But Tee, you were right. I know things are in limbo with you two right now, but anyone who knew you two back then can see the connection you two have. I mean it's like you talk to each other without even opening your mouth. When you walk into to the room with each other, the other person knows right away. You notice each other, you feel each other and don't even give it an effort. Do you know how rare that is? You need to fight this and come back. Not only for me, but for Kelly, for your daughter. You need to come back and fight for the love you once had. And don't even try to deny that you don't still have feelings for Kelly. You two look at each other like nothing even happened. You have to come back and fight for your life, because it's here waiting for you. Kelly and Katie are here waiting for you, you just have to come back" he said before getting up and kissing her forehead.

He turned to walk out and stopped when he saw Kelly standing in the doorway with tears in his eyes. Hearing those things from Johnny really meant a lot to him. Kelly walked in and put his bag down in the corner before just standing in front of Johnny.

Neither one really knew what to say. "You call me if anything happens?" Johnny said. Kelly nodded and watched Johnny get his coat and walk out. "Johnny" Kelly called after him. The police detective turned around in the middle of the hallway. "Thank you" he said. Johnny smiled and nodded before making his way out.

Kelly walked back into the room and sat down on the chair next to her bed. He held her hand and kissed the back of it. "Hi princess," he caressed her cheek and moved a piece of hair off her forehead mindful of her stitches and bandages.

"So it looks like everyone is pulling for us to get back together. I can't say they are wrong. I love you. I always have. I know it's going to take time for us to get back to the way we were before I made the biggest mistake of my life and let you go, but I promise you that if you come back to me, I will make it worth your while" he promised.

He looked at her and didn't see any response. She just lay there motionless. "George told me that you can hear me, so I'm going to give it a try," he said before getting up and leaning so his lips grazed her ear, "I know you are going to come back to me. You take however long you need to heal because I promise that I will always be here waiting for you" he kissed her cheek and returned to his original position.

He sat on the chair, holding her hand and just talked. The doctors and Nina kept telling him that talking to her would help her wake up, so he told her about his day. When he ran out of things to talk about, he talked about the weather or what the gossip was around the firehouse. He was going to do whatever he could to get her back.


	7. Chapter 7-Family Gathering

**Hi everyone! Thanks for reading! I hope you are enjoying this story. So we are going to be moving forward in this chapter. **

**RATED M! THERE IS A RATING MATURE in this chapter!**

**There is going to be a little time jump!**

**Thanks for reading! Please Review!**

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_**Previously…**_

He looked at her and didn't see any response. She just lay there motionless. "George told me that you can hear me, so I'm going to give it a try," he said before getting up and leaning so his lips grazed her ear, "I know you are going to come back to me. You take however long you need to heal because I promise that I will always be here waiting for you" he kissed her cheek and returned to his original position.

He sat on the chair, holding her hand and just talked. The doctors and Nina kept telling him that talking to her would help her wake up, so he told her about his day. When he ran out of things to talk about, he talked about the weather or what the gossip was around the firehouse. He was going to do whatever he could to get her back.

_**MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM**_

**Chapter 7- Family gathering**

The next morning, Nina walked into the room and smiled at the sight of her brother sitting there holding Mia's hand asleep on the chair. She was sure to be quiet as she walked in and started to check over Michelina's vitals.

She wanted to get everything charted before George started his rounds. She wanted to be sure everything was ready. As she was going over her vitals, she noticed Michelina start to wake up.

She felt the pain, a heavy pressure on her chest. She struggled to open her eyes. Nina noticed and reached for her other hand. She squeezed her hand. "Mia, come on…can you hear me? Just try and wake up" she urged.

Michelina opened her eyes to the bright lights and tried to flutter her eyes to keep them open. She squinted and tried to squirm. "No, it's okay. You're in the hospital. Just try and relax" she said before looking over at Kelly.

Michelina followed her gaze and smiled a little. She squeezed the hand he was holding. He stirred but stayed asleep. Nina walked over and shook her brother awake. Kelly stirred awake and took a second to gather his bearings.

When he noticed Nina, he jumped up and turned to see Mia looking at him with a smile on her face. Kelly smiled and leaned over to caress her cheeks. "Hi princess," he said. She couldn't talk because of the intubation tube, but she smiled and a few tears fell down her cheeks.

He caressed her cheeks and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Don't cry. You're okay. Everything is going to be okay now that you're awake" he said.

Nina walked out to page George and call everyone at the firehouse. Nina met them all in the hall. When Chief Boden got the call from Nina, the whole house got in their trucks and ready to go, lights and sirens. They all got the firehouse and skidded to a halt when they saw Nina.

"She's awake…she still has some residual effects. George and I need to do our exam" she said. She waved them to follow her down the hall. They all stood outside the window of Michelina's room and smiled when they saw her awake. She looked up and smiled at them with a wave.

George and Nina walked in to start their exam. "Kelly you are going to have to wait outside" George said.

Michelina panicked. Her eyes flew to his and she squeezed his hand as hard as she could. She was not letting go. Kelly looked back at George and Nina, "I can't leave her" he said.

Both George and Nina noticed how tense she got when Kelly got up to walk out. She stiffened up. She got scared. It's like she needed Severide's strength to rely on.

George nodded, "yeah that's fine, he can stay. I just need you to relax Mia" he replied.

Kelly sat back down and cupped her head, "I'm not going anywhere. I promise you" he said to her. She smiled and squeezed his hand.

George took out his pen light and Nina grabbed her chart to update everything. George looked into Michelina's eyes to see how her pupils reacted to the light, asked her to blink her eyes, track his pen, wiggle her fingers and toes and squeezed his hands. Basically, he checked all her reflexes while Nina wrote everything in her chart.

He finally took out his stethoscope and checked her lungs and pulse ox. Her reflexes and vitals looked good. "Okay, we are going to take you off the vent. I know you know how to do this, but the main goal is to try and relax" he said as Nina got everything ready.

They put a spit rag around her neck, grabbed the bucket. "Okay Mia, on the count of 3 I need you to breathe out" he said.

She grabbed Kelly's hand and squeezed. She knew as a doctor that these things were uncomfortable. Nina had the spit bucket ready under her chin. "Okay on the count of three breathe out," George said.

"One…"

"Two…"

Kelly squeezed her hand and tried to stay out of the way but wanted to be there for her.

"Three, breathe out" he said.

Michelina took a big breathe and breathed out. She could feel the plastic tube coming up her throat. When it was finally out, she started coughing and gagging. Nina held the bucket under her chin and took a wet cloth to her forehead and her neck.

"It's okay, just take easy breaths" she tried to soothe her.

Nina wiped her chin and helped her lay back. They wanted to hold off on the oxygen and see if she could breathe on her own.

"I'll leave you to visit" she said.

Once they were alone, Kelly held her hand and wrapped his other hand around the top of her head, mindful of her stitches and leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

"You scared me shitless princess" he admitted.

"Kelly…" she wheezed.

He knew she wanted to talk about Katie and explain things but he also knew that she needed to rest to get her strength back.

"Don't even worry about it okay. I know why you kept it from me. I messed up Mia. I completely acted like an idiot. I was a selfish ass, only thinking of myself. I should have noticed that you were pregnant. I was so wrapped up in my own shit that I just lost my head. Didn't really think about anything else, especially my family. But now, I know Katie is mine and she just gets to me. She totally takes after you in the smarts department. She's the perfect little girl anyone could ask for and I guess I am asking you if it's okay that I want to be in her life" he said.

She let a few tears fall and smiled. "She needs a dad and she's super lucky that her dad is you" she replied before reaching out and wiping a few of his tears.

"Well good, because she got one" he replied.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Sorry, we couldn't wait anymore" Shay said as she came rushing in with Nina and Gabby to greet Mia with a little hug.

"We are so glad you are okay" Hermann said.

"Thank you all for supporting me and Katie" Michelina replied.

Clarke came in and put his arms around Nina. "That little girl is running circles around us all. She's a little ball of energy. We are glad she's part of our family now" he said.

"She loves anything related to firefighting" Michelina commented.

The guys from 51 stayed for a little while and visit with her. They were really glad that she was okay and on her way to recovery.

Johnny wasn't able to make it until after shift. He walked into her room and saw that she was asleep with her hand in Kelly's. He knocked slightly and walked in.

"Hey man" Kelly greeted.

"Hey, how is she? Is she really okay?" Johnny asked.

Kelly rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Ahh, Nina said that she is doing okay. She's breathing on her own. They are saying she is doing well. We just want her to keep breathing on her own. We need her lungs to keep working and for her to steer clear of infection," Kelly informed.

Johnny let out a breath of relief. "Thank God" he said going over to kiss her forehead. "We're pulling for you Rocky, you just have to keep fighting" he kissed her forehead.

"Johnny, Lt. Severide" they both turned around to see Chief Danny De Luca.

"Dad" Johnny greeted.

"How's she doing?" he asked.

"She's hanging in there" Kelly replied.

"Dad, since you are here, Kelly and I are going to get a beer. I know Mia would want Kelly to get out here" he said.

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Kelly and Johnny sat at McLaren's bar. Johnny was trying to stay tough. He was trying to keep a strong exterior. On the inside, Kelly knew he was struggling. Michelina was his only sister, his little sister. Seeing her like this was not easy for him.

"This is an interesting place" Johnny quipped. He didn't know about this place. Usually the guys hung out at Molly's.

"Yeah, this is where I first saw your sister after the divorce," Kelly started. He took a swig of his beer before continuing, "I flirted with her, I didn't recognize her. Then she proceeded to kick my ass in pool" he informed with a smirk.

He remembered that day like it was yesterday. Johnny laughed, "I'm not surprised, I taught her how to play when she was little" he added.

"God I remember that day like it was yesterday" Kelly stated.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-Flashback-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Michelina walked into McLaren bar with her friends from work. They were residents. Just passed their boards and came to celebrate. They got themselves a table in the back and ordered a round of drinks._

"_So what are we celebrating tonight ladies?" the bartender asked._

"_We just passed our boards and are officially fellows" Silvia said in her Spanish accent. It only came out when she was angry and when she got drunk._

"_Well my congratulations. The first round is on me" he replied handing them the tray of drinks._

"_Thank you" Silvia said as she carried the tray over to the table. _

"_So, since we are finding you a man tonight Mia, I think we should start with those firefighting hunks" Noelle said pointing to the front table._

_Matt, Kelly and Andy were sitting in McLaren's after shift. "This seems like a nice place" Andy observed. Kelly was looking at the table to the back. The one with all the girls._

"_Check out those three girls back there. They are hot" he commented._

"_I have a girlfriend and Andy is married. You are the only single one and you are a player" Matt quipped._

"_Shut up! I think I have a shot with one of them at least" he stated._

"_Look Mia, they are looking over here. I think the one in the middle is interested in you" Noelle said._

"_I am not looking for a guy right now" Michelina said._

_Michelina walked over to the bar to get something to eat. All the alcohol was getting to her._

"_I'm going to make my move" Kelly said before walking up to the bar next to her._

"_You're order will be right up honey" the older lady said. _

_Michelina smile at her, "Thank you" she replied politely. _

_Kelly walked up to her and leaned on the bar next to her, "Do you come here often?" he asked._

_Michelina rolled her eyes and was about to tear this guy a new one when she turned around and surprised when she saw Kelly Severide. She hadn't seen him in a few years. She quickly got over the shock and turned angry._

"_Did you just try and hit on me?" she asked with her hands on her hips._

_Kelly was at a loss for words. "I didn't recognize you. You look different" he observed._

"_Yeah I cut and dyed my hair. I can't believe you just hit on me" she argued._

_Kelly put his hands up in surrender. "I am sorry okay. I didn't know it was you. What are you doing here anyways? This isn't your usual hang out" he asked._

"_Noelle and Silvie wanted to check this place out" she informed._

"_Well, would you like to join us?" he asked pointing to Matt and Andy._

_She smiled and waved at them. They were watching amused. "No thanks, but I will do you the honor of kicking your ass in pool" she teased._

_Kelly laughed and wrapped his arms across his chest. "Really?" he replied._

"_Yeah really. We may not be together anymore, but I will always be your friend Kelly" she said._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-End Flashback-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Johnny couldn't help but laugh. "That sounds like my sister. I wanted to pummel you when I found out what happened, but I knew she would hate me for it. She's always going to love you Kelly. That's not going to change" Johnny informed.

"I would have kicked my ass if I was you. I really messed up with Mia. I became my worst nightmare. I became my father. I abandoned my daughter" he said as he took another chug of beer.

Johnny put the beer down and let out a big breath. "Kelly, it doesn't really matter what happened in the past. We can't change it. Katie knows about you know and trust me, she is not going to let you out of her life. She's got her dad and she ain't lettin' you go" Johnny said.

"Well I promise that I am going to be the best dad that I can be. I just need to figure out how to fit in her life, in both of their lives" he admitted.

"You just be her dad. As for Mia, you have to work for her trust back" Johnny informed.

"Yeah, she's stubborn as hell. You know your sister. She doesn't listen to anyone. She has a big heart. Did you know before we got married, she used to bring dinner every time I was on shift?" Kelly asked.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, every time she used to bring dinner over, the guys would freak. It was like feeding time at the zoo. If when we got divorced, when I saw her at the bar, she brought dinner the next shift"

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN-Flashback-NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

_The next shift after seeing Michelina at McLaren's Kelly was still reeling. He couldn't help it. He missed her, he didn't realize how much until he saw her again._

_They were all on shift and it was crazy busy. They all just wanted to chill and relax for a break before it got crazy again._

"_So Mills what's for dinner?" Capp asked._

_Before he could answer, they heard the Chief come in. "I think I can answer that" Chief Boden said. He as carrying a pot. The guys looked at him confused, until Michelina stepped out from behind him with a smile on her face._

_She was holding another pot. "How about beef stew, some Italian white bread for dinner and some pezzels, and double chunk chocolate brownies for dessert?" she teased. _

"_Oh, Thank you God" Mills groaned in relief. He was relieved from kitchen duty._

"_Heaven sent us an angel" Hermann commented as he took the bags from her arms._

_She smiled and set everything up in the kitchen. Kelly came over and stood awkwardly with his hands stuck in his pockets._

"_What are you doing here Mia?" he asked._

"_I brought dinner. I told you last night Kelly, just because we aren't together anymore, doesn't mean I don't still care about you guys. You guys are my family. Always have been, always will be. I know from Johnny that things have been rough, so I figured you could use a break" she replied._

"_Thank you" he said._

_She smiled and nodded, "You're welcome" she answered. _

_Once she got everything set up, she grabbed her stuff to go. "You aren't staying?" Otis asked._

"_No, I have a big day at the hospital tomorrow. You guys enjoy though" she commented as she bundled up. _

_Casey came over and gave her a hug. "It was good to see you Mia" he kissed her cheek as he pulled away. She smiled and returned the kiss, "you to Matt" she replied._

_She said goodbye to Andy the same way. "Bye Darden, I'll be seeing you with Heather at the hospital" she whispered in his ear. He smiled and gave her a big hug._

"_I'll walk you out" Kelly said. _

_She grabbed her purse and nodded. She turned to all the guys, "you guys be safe" she said before walking out with Kelly._

_He walked her all the way to her car. She got herself together and leaned against the door facing him. "Thanks for walking me to the car" she said wrapping her coat tighter around her. The weather was changing and it was getting cold out._

"_Thank you for coming by with some dinner" he replied._

_She shrugged, "it's no big deal. You have a safe shift okay" she said._

_He nodded, "can I hug you?" he asked._

_Michelina smiled and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck in a hug. Kelly wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'll always be here for you. Don't forget that" she said as she kissed his cheek before pulling away._

_NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN-End Flashback-NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN_

Johnny let out a little laugh. "Yeah, that sounds like my sister. Always there for her loved ones. She's always going to care about you Kelly. You are her daughter's father. You're always going to be in her life. Which way is up to you two" Johnny said.

That gave Kelly a lot to think about. He knew that Michelina and he needed to have a talk. He needed to figure out how he fit into their life.

The next day, he was off from work. The next morning, he got up and skipped out on breakfast. "Kelly, where are you going this early?" Shay asked.

He grabbed an apple and his gym bag. "I am going to have a picnic" he replied shooting her a wink.

She just watched confused as he grabbed his stuff and walked out. She had no idea what he was talking about but he looked happy so she let it slide.

Kelly got to Chief D's house in record time. He already called ahead of time, so the Chief knew what was going on. He pulled into the driveway and parked next to Johnny.

He knocked on the door and waited. He couldn't help but smile when he heard little pounding feet running towards the door. It swung open to see his little princess in her pajamas that he bought her smiling up at him.

"Hi Daddy" she greeted before launching herself at him. He laughed and picked her up in a hug. He carried her in the house and shut the door behind him. "I missed you" she added.

Kelly kissed her strawberry blond curls, "I missed you too baby girl. Were you a good girl for your grandpa?" he asked.

She pulled away with her arms around his neck. "Yeah, but I had to go to bed early" she pouted. He laughed and walked into the kitchen with her in his arms. He smiled at the domestication he felt. It felt normal, it felt right.

Johnny was there with his partner and the chief was making breakfast. "Hey Severide" he greeted. Kelly put Katie at the table so she could finish her breakfast. "Hey Johnny, how's it going?" he asked.

"Can't complain. Kelly Severide, this is my partner, Angela Corano" Johnny introduced. Kelly shook her hand, "Please call me Angie" she said. He smiled, "Kelly. Nice to meet you Angie" he replied.

Johnny bent over Katie and kissed her head, "I'll see you later kiddo," he said. Angie got her bag and her coat before standing at the doorway. "You're leaving?" Katie asked.

"Yeah I got to go to work and catch the bad guys" Johnny replied. The Chief sniggered. Johnny wanted to be a cop his whole life. Ever since Kelly has known him, that's all he could talk about. Naturally, the chief wanted him to follow in his footsteps and be a cop.

"Be careful Uncle Johnny" she said before reaching up and giving him a hug.

"Don't worry munchkin, your uncle is like batman. He survives anything" he teased before giving her one more little kiss before walking out.

Kelly took a seat next to Katie at the table. "Do you need any help Chief?" he asked. Chief De Luca laughed, "You mean do I want you to burn my house down, no thank you" he replied. Everyone knew Kelly could burn water without even trying.

Once Katie was all finished, she took her plate and put it in the sink. "I'm done daddy" she said. "Okay, go wash up and get dressed. We are going to see Mommy today" he replied with a smile when her face lightened up.

She was super excited. She ran upstairs and got ready in record time. She made her dad braid her hair and make it look nice. She wanted to look presentable for her mom.

Kelly said his goodbyes to the chief and watched as his daughter did the same. "Bye grandpa" she gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Bye angel, you say hi to your mom okay" he requested. Katie smiled and nodded before turning to grab her dad's hand.

Once he got her buckled into her seat, he took off to the hospital. He planned a whole day with Mia. She was in for the surprise of her life.

At the hospital, Katie became extremely excited. She hasn't seen her mom in a long time and she missed her. She wasn't used to being away from her. Outside the door, Kelly knelt to his daughter's eye level. "Okay baby, we have to be on our best behavior and keep our inside voices okay. Mommy is still really tired from her surgery" he said.

"Does she still have tubes daddy?" Katie asked worried. She didn't want to see her mom sick.

"No baby, but she does have some nasal oxygen. It's just help her get better" he explained. Katie took his hand and nodded. She was ready.

Kelly smiled at her courage and opened the door. Mia was sleeping. She looked a lot better than before. Her color was back and Nina did her hair in a side ponytail. Other than being in the hospital, she looked relatively normal.

He walked in and put his bag on the couch. Katie just stood there silently waiting. Nina was asleep in the chair next to Mia's bed. She was in her scrubs, with her white coat over her as a blanket. Kelly walked up to her and shook her awake.

"Kell, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I am going to stay with Mia. Me and Katie are going to spend the day with Mia. You go home" he said. She nodded and got up to get her things. Once she had her bag, she grabbed her coat. After giving her brother a kiss and her niece a hug, she made her way home.

Clarke was making himself some breakfast when he heard the door open. He was surprised to see Nina walk in. She told him that she was going to spend the day in the hospital with Mia. He was really worried about her. She was beyond tired.

She dropped her bag by the door next to his and walked into the kitchen. "Hey babe, I thought you were going to stay with Mia in the hospital" he said. She just walked up him and wrapped her arms around him and cried in his chest.

Clarke instantly became concerned. He put down the spatula and wrapped his arms around her, caressing her hair. He figured she was worried but she hasn't broken down yet. "Shsh, it's okay. Let it all out" he said.

She pulled away and smiled up at him, "I'm sorry. I got your shirt all wet" she played with the wet spots.

"Hey," Clarke cupped her face and wiped her tears away. She looked up at him with a solemn look on her face, "don't apologize. You are allowed to feel sad and worried. She's your best friend. But she would want you to take care of yourself. You have been wearing yourself thin since Mia got sick. I am going to treat you to a day of pampering" he said wiping some hair from her neck.

He got behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her back into him. "All day…me and you…a day of relaxation…and best of all…no clothes required" he said in between kisses. Nina smiled and wrapped her arm up around his face. "I love you Jeff" she said in all honesty.

She didn't know what she would do without him. He's her rock. Helped her through the worst times. "I love you more Nina" he countered with a kiss to her pulse point. She moaned and went limp against him.

Breakfast forgotten, he held her up when he felt her sag. He wanted everything to be about her. He knew she needed this. She wanted this so bad. She needed it. She missed him so much.

Clarke turned her in his arms and smiled. He picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck so support, so she wouldn't fall. He carried her upstairs, down the hall and into their bedroom.

He let her down next to the bed. He pulled back and cupped her face to kiss her. She smiled against his lips and pulled away before things got too passionate. It was sweet how gentle he was being for her. He wanted to make it good for her.

He walked her around the room and dimmed the lights, he reached into the closet and pulled out a bag. "I had this planned for when you got home tonight but I guess now will do" he said as he took out the rose petals and placed them around the bed and the floor. He really didn't have time for anything else. He was planning on doing all that during the day.

She looked at him with more tears in her eyes. "It's beautiful" she replied. She loved the thought. Once he spread them around the room, he walked back over to her and took her hand, she squeezed his hand and walked with him to stand next to the bed. "I love you" he said.

She smiled and closed her eyes as he leant down to kiss her. He slowly let his hands wander and started to undress her. He broke the kiss to pull her top off. He trailed his hands down her back to the clasp of her black lacey bra and took it off. She wrapped her arms around his neck and moaned as his hands made their way to her waist band.

He undid the tie on her pants and pushed them down. He let her clothes fall and pool at her feet. She smiled when she saw him smirk at her. She knew he loved black and he loved her in black lace. It only turned him on even more. He hooked his fingers into her panties and kept his gaze on hers as he pushed them down.

He walked her backwards until the back of her knees hit the bed. "Lie down" he instructed. She did just that and got comfy in the middle of the bed and smiled as he laid down next to her. "Close your eyes," again she obeyed. She had a huge smile on her face. She was enjoying the sensations and he didn't even touch her yet. She couldn't imagine what the night had in store for her.

"Just feel okay, don't think. Just let the feelings overwhelm your senses" he whispered before kissing her forehead. She smiled and couldn't help but chuckle. "Really, it's our romantic night and all you could think of is the Pillsbury Dough Boy?" she asked. He smiled against her forehead, "shsh, no talking" he replied.

"I just love you so much. You have been stressing out over everything and I want to just take care of you today" he said. She tried to hold in her tears, "I thought we weren't talking" she counted.

Using just his mouth, he explored her body. He started at her forehead. He planned to get to every part of her. He kissed her on the tip of her nose and then brushed his lips across hers. He nuzzled her neck before giving her a love bit. He bit at her pulse point. She arched and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her with a moan.

She's never seen Jeff acting like this. Usually she was the one to start everything or they would just get to it. He's never been spontaneous like this before. The last time they were like this was when he first told her he loved her a few years ago. She was enjoying every minute of it. He kissed each breast and laved the undersides. He kissed her stomach and then dipped his tongue in her navel. He wanted to make this good for her.

She moaned loud and arched of the bed. She clawed at his back. She wanted him as close as humanly possible. He worked his way down her leg until he reached her feet. When he kissed the foot of her arch, her back flew off the bed. "Clarke" she moaned.

She didn't know that the amount of attention he gave her foot would shoot right to her center. She was beyond delirious. She just wanted him. She didn't want to wait anymore. "Clarke" she tried again. He smirked, with a dark chuckle he moved to her other food before making his way up her other leg. He completely ignored her throbbing core to pay meticulous attention to every single one of her fingers.

Nina was trembling with pleasure by the time he dropped another kiss on her mouth. When she felt his hand cup her hips to hold her down, she thought he would just get it over with. She couldn't take anymore torture. It was too much. She was on cloud nine. Her whole body was on fire. Every single nerve in her body was firing.

She didn't want to wait anymore, she just wanted to do it already. She couldn't hold out anymore. She knew he wanted to make this for her, but she couldn't wait anymore. She didn't want to put an end to his spontaneous gesture, so she kept quiet.

He helped her to turn to her stomach. He sat behind her and pushed her hair to the side, he kissed the nape of her neck and felt her shiver beneath him. The time, he used his hands to pleasure her. Pressing his thumbs on either side of her spine he massaged her back. She curled her muscles inward and moaned when he pressed her tight spot. He ran his fingertips down her spine and smiled when she arched forward and moaned.

"Please…" she cried.

He ignored her and trailed his lips down her back and nipped the back of her knees. Nina whimpered, moaned and sighed as proving his total mastery of her body. He knew her better than anyone. Only he could make her feel this way. By the time he was finished touching her, Clarke's hands were shaking and he was so hard it hurt. He couldn't take it anymore. He needed to be with her again. He held in his need and made it about her. He wanted tonight to be about her needs, not his.

She felt drunk and high all at the same time. She couldn't even think of forming a normal sentence. She smiled at the gentleness of his touch. This was her boyfriend. This is the guy she loves. It took them a long time to get to this point. It was rough when Jeff got back from the Marines. He had a rough time getting readjusted. He only let a few people see this side of him and she was one of the special ones.

"Stretch your arms over your head" he instructed as he dropped a kiss on her lower back. He was so close to where she needed him to be. She did what he asked, hoping he would soon be joining his body to hers. Jeff stretched out over her warming her chilled skin. He placed his feet outside hers as he totally surrounded her with himself.

"You feel so good" he whispered into her ear before he turned her over to look into her eyes. "You are so soft and silky. I love you so much, I love being with you like this. I want this to be all about you" he kissed around her lips.

"Please Jeff" she whispered, gasping for air as she involuntarily lifted her hips. "Shsh, it's okay. Just tell me what you want, tell me how you need it" he used her words against her with a smirk on his face. She glared at him, she knew her words would come back and bite her in the ass.

"Please Jeff, please I need you inside me…please" her voice cracked as she told him. "I need to be there too. Just lie here and let me make love to you" he had a plan. He wanted to give her as much pleasure as humanly possible. He wanted to make her feel the way she made him feel the other night. Letting one hand go, he slid it under her hips urging her up so that he could wrap around her waist.

Once she was ready, he placed his arms on either side of her head and looked right into her eyes. "Are you ready? You're sure" he asked. He just wanted to make her feel the way she made him feel since he met her. She helped him so much after getting back from the Marines.

She smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're joking right? I love you Jeff. I will always be ready for you because I can't believe I found you and have you in my life" she said. She cupped his face, "I want this because I want you" she added.

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her as he thrust into her. It took a matter of seconds for Nina to cum screaming his name. He continued to thrust into her and found his release seconds later. His whole body shook, he just fell on top of her. She smiled and cuddled him to her body. She kissed the top of his head, and held him as they came down from their high.

He wanted to stay nestled in the heat of her body but knew that he couldn't so he pulled her up and kissed her with gentle passion. She pulled away and smiled down at him. She rested on his chest and traced his jaw line. "I love you more than words can say, you do know that right? I've loved you since the moment I saw you" he said.

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At the hospital, Kelly walked up to the bed and braced himself on either side of her head. He slowly leaned down and kissed her forehead. She turned slowly and started to stir awake. She smiled when she saw Kelly. "Hi" she greeted. He smiled back that she looked better and felt better.

"Hi, so I know that today you are feeling better. Nina told me that last night you did good last night and you were getting out of here soon" he said.

"I am so bored Kelly. I just want to go home. I miss my little princess. How's Katie?" she asked.

His grin got bigger, "well, why don't you ask her yourself?" he replied. She looked at him confused for a second before he moved out of the way and she was able to see her little princess sitting on the chair. Katie came over and smiled at her mom.

"Hi mommy, are you feeling better?" she asked.

Mia started crying and laughing. "Oh baby, I missed you so much" she said. Kelly picked up his little girl and sat her on the edge of the bed next to Mia. Katie reached down and gave her mom a little hug. Michelina squeezed her daughter tight against her. She missed her so much.

"I love you angel. I missed you so much. Are you okay? How's school? Are you being good for your dad?" she asked all at once.

Kelly laughed. He let mother and daughter reconnect while he set up the lunch. "What's all this?" Mia asked as Kelly set up her hospital table. "Well, I figured since you couldn't really get up yet, we would have a family picnic and reconnect with each other" he said.

Mia looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I think that's a perfect idea. What do you think baby? Want to have a picnic with mommy and daddy?" she asked her daughter.

Katie smiled at her mom and dad, "Family picnic" she replied.

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**AHHHH! A family picnic. Thank you all for reading! I hoped you enjoyed! Please Review! More of Operation Rekindle Love to continue!**


	8. Chapter 8 -Severide Family Drama

**Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading and taking interest in my story! I really appreciate all the reviews and follows and favorites!**

**So there is going to be a time jump in this chapter. Mia is going to be coming home from the hospital and there will be more Severide family drama!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Please enjoy and continue reading! Please review!**

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_**Previously…**_

She looked at him confused for a second before he moved out of the way and she was able to see her little princess sitting on the chair. Katie came over and smiled at her mom.

"Hi mommy, are you feeling better?" she asked.

Mia started crying and laughing. "Oh baby, I missed you so much" she said. Kelly picked up his little girl and sat her on the edge of the bed next to Mia. Katie reached down and gave her mom a little hug. Michelina squeezed her daughter tight against her. She missed her so much.

"I love you angel. I missed you so much. Are you okay? How's school? Are you being good for your dad?" she asked all at once.

Kelly laughed. He let mother and daughter reconnect while he set up the lunch. "What's all this?" Mia asked as Kelly set up her hospital table. "Well, I figured since you couldn't really get up yet, we would have a family picnic and reconnect with each other" he said.

Mia looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I think that's a perfect idea. What do you think baby? Want to have a picnic with mommy and daddy?" she asked her daughter.

Katie smiled at her mom and dad, "Family picnic" she replied.

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**Chapter 8 – Severide Family Drama**

**With credit to: **mom2jlg for her ideas.

Firehouse 51 Family day was underway. It was a day for all the firefighters to bring their kids and kids around the neighborhood to come to the firehouse and explore the firehouse and see all the equipment and trucks. The men and women of House 51 were on duty that day so their children, the Hermann kids and Severide kid came with someone else.

Chief Boden walked up to his lieutenants, who were observing the scene with a smile on his face. "This is quite the success, isn't it?" Kelly and Matt smiled and nodded in agreement, "yeah I don't know why headquarters never thought of this before" Casey replied.

"It's great. It's going to help us out a lot. We've already raised over $20,000" Boden informed.

"That's great Chief" Severide replied. He knew that with the budget and city funding cuts, all the help they could get really counted. The men and women were stretched pretty thin and had a few close calls in the field, but they were working through it. Any little bit helped.

As they were talking, Johnny walked in and scanned the scene. He saw the lieutenants with the chief and made his way over. The ranking men smiled when they saw Johnny coming in with the kids. On his right was Katie on the left was a set of twins.

"Hey Severide" Johnny said.

"Johnny" he greeted before turning to chief. "Chief, you remember Mia's Brother Johnny" he said.

"Of course, nice to see you again" he said.

"You too Chief" Johnny replied.

Kelly leaned down and grabbed his daughter and kissed her cheeks. "Hi princess" he greeted. She gave him hug. "Hi daddy" she greeted.

"These are my nieces and nephews. Tommy's kids, Laura and Adrianna. Brianna's kids, Joey, Lucia and Nick" he said introducing each of the kids. "Guys, this is Chief Boden, Lt. Casey and Lt. Severide" he told them pointing to each of them.

Nick and Joey sized up Kelly. They heard their cousin talk about her new dad all the time. They were happy their cousin was happy but they were worried about her.

"Are you Aunt Mia's new boyfriend? Are you our new uncle?" Nick asked with his arms crossed against his chest.

Kelly looked at the adults with a smirk. He didn't expect that from an 8 year old he just met. Kelly knelt down to the kid's eye level. "Well, that's a really complicated question. Right now, how about we say I am someone who cares a lot for you Aunt Mia and you are going to be seeing a lot of me from now on" he answered.

Nick nodded, "that's acceptable, but Katie is my cousin and Aunt Mia is my favorite aunt and I don't want you to hurt them" he said.

Matt couldn't hold it in anymore, he let out a little laugh. "Don't worry Nick, Kelly isn't that stupid" he replied. The kids nodded and seemed satisfied.

"So are you all excited to see the trucks?" Chief Boden asked.

"Can we really Uncle Johnny?" they asked really excited. "Yeah let's do it" he followed Kelly, who had Katie in his arms, around the firehouse. It was really fun for him. All the guys recognized a difference in him.

He stopped in the locker room and the apparatus room and turned to the kids. "Who wants to try on the turnouts?" he asked. He had to laugh when all their hands shot up. "I get yours' daddy because my last name is Severide" Katie called before anyone could.

Kelly, Matt and Johnny helped the kids put on some of the turnouts. Kelly took about 20 photos of them in the turnouts. They were swimming in them but they looked so excited and happy to be wearing them. He showed them everything. He showed them all the gear and told them what everything was used for.

Kelly showed them Squad 3 and Truck 81. Casey got in the truck and let them sit in the seats and run the siren. They were having so much fun. It was only when Severide's daughter got an idea did he freeze.

"Dad, I want to climb onto the Truck, all the way to the top" she said.

"I don't think that's a good idea" he shot down the idea.

She stood with her hands on her hips and gave him a pointed look. "It's just the slide at the park. I can do it" she argued.

All the guys looked on amused. That little girl was so much like her mother it wasn't even funny. She was too stubborn for her own good.

Kelly sighed. He really had no other choice. She used his own words against him. "Alright, go ahead" he picked her up and put her on the on the first step. Clarke climbed up behind her. He followed her all the way up. Once she was at the top, he knelt on one knee and held her. "So, what do you think?" he asked.

"I love it!" she squealed.

She had one arm wrapped around his neck for support. Kelly smiled and shook his head at her. He could tell she was going to be stubborn. He snapped a picture of her on top of Squad 3. She had the time of her life.

To make the whole experience even better, Chief Boden told Cruz to take them around the block when most of the party started to fade. In the truck, in the gear, they looked like so excited and so much like firefighters. They looked so cute.

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At the end of shift the next day, Kelly made his way to the hospital to see Mia and check on her. He was really excited to show her the pictures and videos of Katie and the kids in the truck. She would be so excited.

He walked off the elevator and dropped off some cookies from Dawson on the charge desk. "Thanks Hot Stuff" Lizzie called after him. He waved it off and made his way down the hall. He knew how to get to her room by heart. He's been there every day.

Once he got to her room, he saw Nina in the hallway with the curtains drawn in the room. "Hey, what's going on?" he asked his sister. He had a good day. He didn't want to ruin it with bad news. Nina looked over and shook her head at his unasked concern. "She's ok. They are changing her dressing and performing and abilities test. George just wants to make sure her bloods flowing" she informed.

"How's she doing? He asked.

"She's okay today. Finished a whole side of mashed potatoes by herself. It sounds really small, but it's really good progress Kelly. We are going to try to get her to walk today. She's looking to go home soon" Nina informed really excited.

Kelly was quite. It really hit him. If Mia was coming home, then they were going to have to talk about what was going to happen. He was going to have to be an adult and talk to Mia about how he fit into her life and Katie's life.

Nina turned to her brother when she noticed his quiet. She figured he would be jumping for joy at the mention of the fact that Mia is going to be coming home soon. She turned and laughed at the look of pure terror on his face. "You should be excited. Now you are scared about Mia coming home because you are going to have to be an adult" she teased.

Kelly glared at his sister. "That's not funny. This is serious. I have no idea how I am going to fit into her life. I don't know if she'll want me in her life or Katie's" he said.

"Kelly, don't worry about it. She is going to want you in Katie's life. You have really stepped up in this last few weeks. You have been a father and a good one. I know you are worried you are going to be like dad, but I can tell you that you are the complete opposite. You are loving and caring. Dad was selfish. You. ARE. NOTHING. LIKE. HIM. Stop comparing yourself to him" she yelled at him.

She knew her brother better than anyone. She knew he would be blaming himself. Benny was a great lieutenant and a great chief, but not a great father. He left Kelly, Nina and their mother when they were younger. After their mother died, Kelly raised Nina. He made sure she was fed, in school, doing her homework and studying. He wanted her to be the best she could be. He worked doubles to make sure she could make it through nursing school.

"Nina, it's a miracle you turned out the way you did" he replied.

"Kelly, don't be ridiculous. I turned out the way I did because you made sure I was fed, made up, went to school and did my homework. It's because of you that I busted my ass in nursing school. You have that for your daughter and I know that Mia is going to give you a chance" she said.

He wrapped his arms around her in a hug and kissed the top of her head. "I love you kiddo" he said. She smiled and hugged him tighter. "I love you too. I know you better than you know yourself so listen to me please. Don't be too hard on yourself" she reiterated.

Before Kelly could reply, George and Bobby came back out. "She's doing great. She is going to be really slow but she is progressing wonderfully. It's really frustrating for her because she is always going and going. She's going to have to take it easy and go slow, but she'll be okay. We are hoping to send her home next week" George informed them.

"Thanks guys, I'm going to see her" Kelly said before walking in. Mia was laying back on her back while clenching the sheets. He walked in and put his stuff down on the couch before sitting next to her bedside.

"You feeling okay?" he asked.

She smiled, "yeah, I'm ok. That was just a really rough session. I am so stiff. I just want to get home and get back to my normal life" she complained.

He smiled and nodded in understanding. Mia is a doer. She hates not being able to get up and go. "Well, I have pictures of our daughter at the open house day. She had the time of her life" he said taking out his phone.

"It was absolutely crazy. There were kids everywhere. Your brother brought your nieces and nephews. They actually gave me the cross examination about you. It was really cute. They had the time of their life" he was really excited to show her pictures.

"She's got it in her blood" Mia replied tiredly.

He showed her pictures of the kids in the turnouts. Katie wore Severide's so she looked like the mini version of her dad. "Katie wore my turn outs. She looked so cute. She called them right away too. She wanted to wear her dad's uniform" he was bursting at the seams with excitement.

Mia smiled with joy. She looked so cute.

"Chief let Cruz take us around on the block in the truck. You should have seen the look on their faces. They looked like they were real firefighters. They acted like it. They were talking through the headsets, Katie and Adrianna were calling out orders. I thought we were going to have to use the jaws to get them out when we got back to the house. It was so much fun" he was like a little kid. Honestly, he was glad his kid thought what he did was cool. He was glad she had the same interests.

"They would have fought you tooth and nail to get out" she teased through clenched teeth. He laughed, "Tell me about it" he teased. He reached out to move some strands of her hair off her forehead and noticed her forehead felt a little hot.

"Mia, you feel a little warm. Are you feeling okay?" he asked. He got up and grabbed a washcloth and ran it under the cold water. He folded it up and put it on her forehead and wiped her face and neck. "I'm calling for someone to check your temperature" he said reached for the button to call the nurse.

Nina and Grace were at the desk checking out. Their shift was over. It was time for the second shift to come in. "You leaving Nina?" Bobby asked. "Yeah, I think if I leave Clarke with another night of take out, he may come and kidnap me to get me back home" she teased. "He can kidnap me anytime" Grace laughed.

Just as they signed out, they heard the call light and beep go off. "It's Dr. De Luca's room" Sarah said. Nina, Grace and Bobby dropped their things and took off running.

"She feels kind of warm" Severide said.

All three panicked. Nina ran out and grabbed a portable vital stand. She checked her temperature and panicked. "Its 104.3" she called out.

Bobby pushed the button on the wall. "We need some help in here NOW" Bobby called.

Grace put the pulse ox back on Mia's finger. "86%" she informed.

Nina ripped the blankets off her and moved the extra pillows away from the bed. "What does that mean?" Kelly asked.

Nina and Grace were putting the washcloth where ever they could. "Nina, what does the hell does that mean?" he asked. He really hated not understanding this stuff.

"Her pulse ox is a little low" she said.

Mia looked around wide eyed. She knew what was happening. Kelly stood silently at the end of the bed stroking her hair. He was just worried about keeping her calm. "Shsh, it'll be okay Mia" he said. It was all he could do. He didn't know how to help her otherwise.

Grace got the oxygen mask and was about to put it over Mia's mouth when she started vomiting blood. "Help me sit her up" she screamed at Kelly.

He lunged forward and put his arms around her and helped her sit up. She held onto his arm as tight as she could as the blood just poured out of her mouth.

"She's bleeding internally. CALL A CODE! CODE BLUE! CODE BLUE!" Bobby called into the hallway.

Nina grabbed Kelly and pushed him out of the room. "You have to stay back and let us do our job. She has internal bleeding. It's probably her spleen. We have to get it out" she informed before running back into the room.

Mia was out. They were doing CPR and bagging her until they could get her readings stable. Nina jumped on the gurney and started doing chest compressions. "Come on" she kept repeating over and over.

The guys from 51 were slowly making their way into the hospital to check on Mia when they saw Kelly in the hallway. They instantly panicked.

"Severide" Chief Boden called.

Among them were Mia's siblings and her father. "Katie" Kelly said. "She's with Angie. Don't worry, she's safe" Johnny replied.

"She was fine. We were talking, I was showing her pictures of the kids and she was fine. Then she started throwing up blood and she has a fever. They think she has internal bleeding. More surgery" he explained.

All of a sudden, they heard a long beep and screaming. Kelly recognized it as Nina. "NO! NOT LIKE THIS! DO YOU HEAR ME MIA! NOT LIKE THIS!" she screamed before running out into the hallway.

"CODE BLUE MEANS GRAB THE CRASH CART AND HAUL ASS!" She yelled at the interns.

She ripped open Mia's gown and charged the paddles.

"CHARGE 200" she said.

"CHARGED!"

BOOM! They watched Mia's body jump as the electricity hit her.

"CHARGE 250" Nina ordered.

"Nina we've been going for 10 minutes" Grace said. They usually called it by now, but Nina refused to give up.

"I AM NOT GIVING UP. CHARGE THE DAMN PADDLES" she said with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"CHARGED!"

BOOM….BEEP…BEEP….

They saw a blimp on the monitor. They got her back. Her heart was beating again. Kelly let out a big breath of relief and sagged. Matt was closet and saw his friend about to fall. He held him up. They would be there for him.

"WE GOT A RHYTHM. LETS MOVE" Nina called.

No one was arguing. They grabbed all the necessary equipment and took off towards imaging and the OR'S. They wanted to be ready if necessary.

After what seeming like hours, but in reality was only 30 minutes, Nina came back out. She still had blood on her from when Mia was throwing up. She looked ready to pass out.

"She's stable. She popped her stitches and developed pneumonia from the lung infection. We have her on antibiotics to fight the infection. We have her back in the room. We are giving her the antibiotics around the clock, but she came close to death today. We were close to calling it. She barely made it. We've done all we can do. It's up to her now" she said.

Clarke stepped forward towards his girlfriend. She looked really pale and faint. "Nina" he called. She took one look at him and her brother. When she saw the look of concern and fear in their eyes, she couldn't take it anymore. The stress of the situation and the adrenaline of getting Mia stable were wearing on her.

"Jeff" she called before she fainted against the desk. Jeff and Kelly ran towards her. "Hey, Nina" Jeff called cupping her face trying to get her attention. "Breathe sis, just breathe" Kelly added.

Sally came over and crouched down in front of them. "Hey, bobby sent me out to check on you. I have ginger ale and crackers for you to eat after we get you washed up" she said. She wrapped her arm around her friend and turned towards the guys.

"She'll be okay. It's just the adrenaline wearing off" she informed them.

Kelly could finally breathe. Nina was okay. Mia was okay and Katie was okay. He needed to get control of this. He couldn't lose any more of his family.

**Time jump- 4 weeks**

It took Mia a whole month to get back to being remotely normal. Things were progressing slowly for her. Slower than she would like. She just wanted to be home and back to her life. Kelly was there every day. He stayed with her every night, expect when he was on shift. Then her brothers and sister alternated.

At the end of June, George walked into her hospital room with a smile. She would remember the day forever. It was on step closer to getting her life back. "If your vitals are good next week, we can send you home" he said. That only made her fight harder to get back to normal. All her hard work was finally going to pay off.

The week at the hospital passed quickly. With everyone visiting her, the abundant amounts of flowers and gifts she was getting from her friends and family, they supported her and made her feel loved. She missed all this when she was in New York.

It was Friday and George told her that if her vitals were good she could go home. She was getting anxious. She was still sore and a little bruised, but they were starting to fade. Kelly walked into the room and laughed at the look on her face. "Why do you look so anxious?" he teased.

She glared at him, "I want to go home. My vitals are fine. I am 100% able to go home" she said. George laughed and took out her chart to look it over. Kelly came in just as George was going over the chart. "Hey George" he greeted. "Hey Kelly, how's it going?" he asked. "Not bad. How's she doing?" Kelly asked and he came and sat next to Mia on the bed.

"Not bad, your vitals are all good. I think we can say that you are able to go home, with precautions" he said. She groaned and slumped back slowly in the chair. "Seriously, now I know how my patients feel when I tell them they have to stay and when they go home. It's like being released from prison" she was overjoyed.

Kelly laughed, "Yeah well the hospital can be bit depressing if you aren't used to it" he replied. "I'm going to get the discharge papers and set everything up in the computer, you can change though. You're getting out of here" George said before walking out.

Kelly grabbed her bag from the closet and took out her clothes. He helped her stand up. "Don't lean over" he said. She kept her hands on the bed as he took off her hospital gown. She had a sports bra on, so Kelly grabbed the shirt and helped her put it on and buttoned it up.

Then he took out some scrubs pants and helped her into them. He stood up and met her gaze as he tied them at her waist. To say it was awkward was an understatement. Kelly was trying to be polite and help her out, not getting to physical and all Mia could think about was all their issues.

They still needed to have a talk to figure everything out between them now that he knew the truth about Katie.

George came back in as Kelly helped her with her shoes. "Okay, so here's the deal. No lifting or driving for the next 4-6 weeks, you need to have someone with you at all times to make sure you are able to get around ok without any accidents. I have your pain prescription. I am giving you oxycodone. Take 1 daily/as needed every 4-6 hours" he instructed.

Mia already knew all this. She's a doctor, she's given the speech before. She knew what to expect. What she didn't expect was for her life to be flipped upside down. "I am a doctor. I know the speech. When do I have to come back for my post-op? When can I get back to work?" she asked.

George laughed, "I know you didn't hit your head during all this. You did not spend 4 years in medical school and another 4 years interning to ask me that question. You know for a fact that you can't get back to work until I give you the all clear. I don't care if you are the president of the United States, you are sitting your ass at home until I say otherwise" he instructed.

She groaned and glared. "Yes General" she saluted. It's what all the interns and residents called him. It's only because he runs a tight ship. He just likes everything to be in order. There is nothing wrong with that. It's just fun to tease him about it.

"Don't worry so much, you are healing really well and are right on schedule. Just do what you are supposed to and rest and you'll be back here being a pain in the ass in no time" he teased. "Thank you, that's real nice" she jibed. They were like little kids. It was quite amusing.

"Okay, I will have your discharge papers at the desk. Grace is going to go over them with you and officially sign you out of here. I have to finish rounds on my patients who actually enjoy my services" he kissed her head before leaving.

Kelly grabbed her bags and all her stuff. Bobby came in with a wheel chair. He put an arm around her waist and helped her into the chair. It was slightly uncomfortable due to the location of her stitches. It was more comfortable for her to sit at an incline instead of straight up.

He wheeled her down the hall with Kelly at her side. At the desk, Grace had all her papers. After reiterating the discharge instructions and signing everything she needed to, she was free. Officially out of the hospital as a patient. As much as she hated it, it did give her a perspective of how her patients feel. She could relate to them on a different level because of her experience.

As Bobby wheeled her out, the rest of her residents followed. She was their leader. She was a hard ass on them, but they wouldn't know what to do without her. Not that they would admit it, but they were going to miss her.

At the elevator, she motioned for Bobby to stop. She faced her residents, Bobby included. "I made sure you were all going to be split up between neuro, peds, neonatal and ER. I will be checking in over the phone and I expect good reports. I raised you all to be the best damn interns to walk into this hospital and if I succeeded, then you will have no problem getting OR time. Just remember what I taught you" she said.

"Thanks Dr. De Luca. We all pitched in and got you a get well gift. Just some magazines and stuff to relax at home" Alex stepped forward and handed her a pink gift bag. Mia smiled, "thanks guys. Now remember what I always say when the attendings are giving you trouble" she said.

"We are Dr. De Luca's residents and she did not spend all her time on us for nothing. We know what we are doing, were taught by the best and we deserve to be in that OR" they replied in unison.

That got everyone to laugh. "Good, now go do me proud" she said as they wheeled her into the elevator. Once the doors closed, Kelly burst out laughing, "you scared them shitless" he observed. She laughed and nodded, "it's my job to make sure they are the best" she replied.

When they got the car, Kelly put everything in the back seat before wrapping an arm around her and helping her into the reclined seat. Kelly knew it would make her more comfortable. Once she was settled, Kelly got behind the wheel and headed home. They stopped at the pharmacy first to get her medication but made their way to her apartment.

Mia looked up at her building and smiled. To say she was glad to be home was an understatement. "I'm finally home" she said glancing over at Kelly with a big smile on her face. Severide was just as excited as she was. He was glad to have her home. He couldn't wait for a change to be a part of her family again.

He parked the car in her drive way and went to help her out. He put his arm around her waist for support. He stopped to let her get her bearings. She's been getting dizzy. "You okay?" he asked. She took a few deep breaths and nodded, "yeah, I'm good," she said.

He nodded and helped her into the building. The way the apartments were set up, it was like a townhouse. She had a pretty nice backyard. It was great for Katie. "You ready?" he asked.

She looked up at him with the biggest smile of her face, "I'm so ready" she replied. They opened the door to find all the lights off and the apartment completely quiet. "Where's Katie? Where is everyone?" She asked. Kelly shrugged, "I don't know" he replied.

"SURPRISE!" they heard all of a sudden.

Mia reached over and turned on the lights, so she could see all their friends standing there with balloons, streamers and a welcome home banner. It was very sweet of everyone. "Guys! This was not necessary. You didn't have to through all this trouble," she said making her way into the apartment.

Dawson came over and gave her a cautious hug, "we just wanted to welcome you back home both figuratively from the hospital and literally back to Chicago. We are glad you are back, Severide is a lot more enjoyable to be around since Katie has been in his life" she teased.

"Hey!" he groaned from next to her.

Mia couldn't help but laugh a little through her tears. She took one look around the room and couldn't help the tears that came out. They were her family. She could feel the love from everyone. She missed this while she was in New York.

Johnny came over and hugged his sister. She cried in his chest. "Hey, it's okay. We are all family here and we are going to have your back. We'll help you through this okay" he pulled away and wiped her tears. She smiled and let out a little laugh. It was just overwhelming.

"Thank you guys, you have no idea what this means to me" she announced to everyone. "Hey, it's like Johnny said. We are glad to have you back. You have been missed. So let's toast to Mia's return" Chief Boden said as everyone raised their glass before taking a drink.

They heard a stampede of little feet running towards the living room. Mia smiled when she saw her daughter and nieces and nephews making their way towards her. Kelly got in front of her and put out his hand. "Hold up guys, we have to be gentle with your aunt. She's a little banged up still" he said.

They cautiously stepped forward. "Come on guys" she said as she slowly made her way to the couch. Katie crawled up and got in her mom's lap. "Are you okay mama?" she asked. Mia smiled and cupped her daughter. She ran her hands through her hair and tried to keep her tears at bay.

"We made sure Lt. Severide was nice to you Aunt Mia" Nick added.

"Don't cry" Joey wiped her tears.

Mia smiled and put her arms out and cradled them all in a hug. "I'm okay guys. They took good care of me at the hospital. I just need to take things real slow for a little while, but you guys are going to help me right" she asked. "Yeah, I'm glad you're okay mama" Katie said before she slowly wrapped her arms around her mom.

Mia wrapped her arms around her daughter and squeezed her tight against her. She breathed her in. "I missed you so much pretty girl. Were you good for your dad?" she asked. Katie's eyes brightened up at the mention of her dad.

"Yeah mom, daddy got a pool and we had a barbeque with Aunt Shay and Uncle Matt. I got to go to the firehouse and I climbed the ladder with Uncle Jeff. It was super fun mom" she squealed. "That's good baby." Brianna could see her sister getting tired.

"Alright guys, let's let Aunt Mia rest. Why don't you guys go play in the sun room" she corralled the kids into the play room. Johnny and Brianna are both cops, it just Tommy at Firehouse 35. Brianna sat in front of her sister and supported her thighs. "Are you okay princess?" she asked her little sister.

"I'm okay, just tired" she smiled at her sister. They all worried about her. She was the youngest. Brianna smiled and went to keep the kids under control. She didn't want them ruining her sister's house.

Matt came over and sat next to her on the couch and smiled over at her. "You really okay Mia?" he asked looking her over with concern. Mia smiled back at him. "I'm okay. What's going on with you? Is there a reason Gabby keeps looking at you with longing eyes?" she asked.

She needed to get the attention off of her. If she could help her friends get together, then she would focus on that. Matt couldn't even look at her. He looked down at his lap and blushed. Mia squealed and clapped her hands. "I knew it!" she was really excited.

"We are just friends for now. I don't know how to even approach that. With everything that happened last year with Hallie and now it's just awkward" he vented.

"Hey, if being in the hospital taught me anything, it's that life is short and you can't let love pass you by" she said the last part while glancing at Kelly, only to find Matt smirking when she looked back at him. "What?" she asked.

"Now who's in denial?" he teased. "Shut up! Things are complicated to say the least" she mumbled. Kelly noticed Matt and Mia deep in conversation. He wondered what they were talking about. He couldn't help but get a little jealous. She looked comfortable talking with Matt. He only wished she would be more comfortable with him.

He came over to her and sat across from them on the other couch. "Hey, you need anything? Want something to eat?" he asked. "No I'm alright. Not really feeling too hungry right now" she said as she leaned back against the couch. Her head was hurting a little. She felt a headache coming on.

Matt met Kelly's gaze. Kelly told him her appetite had gone down since surgery. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm good. You know they don't let you leave the hospital without eating" she said. Matt nodded, "okay, as long as you are okay," he said leaning over to kiss her temple before getting up to make himself a plate.

"Hey Mia, how are you feeling? Are you doing okay?" Hermann asked as he sat next to her on the couch. "I'm okay. Hanging in there; this is all just so tiring. It's frustrating you know. I can't do anything normal" she said sinking back into the couch some more.

Hermann looked her over to make sure she was really okay. He was like the dad of the guys at firehouse 51. He always watched over the young ones. "You sure you feel okay?" he asked looking her over. She smiled at his concern, "Hermann I am fine. I'm just glad to be home. I missed everyone" she reassured.

He smiled and patted her back, "we missed you too. Do you want some water or something to eat?" he asked getting up. He heard her deny Matt food, but he saw the look of concern Kelly gave her. Severide came over with a huge plate of food and a glass of ice water. "Beat you to it there Hermann" he said putting the food in front of her and setting the water down so he could cut the chicken.

"These are not all for me?" she said looking at him like she was crazy. She wouldn't eat this much normally; there was no way she was going to eat this much coming out of the hospital. "No, they are mine, but I thought we could share, since you HAVE to eat" he emphasized. She glared at him. She only ate it because she knew that if she didn't, she wouldn't hear the end of it.

After a few hours, everyone started leaving. They all had a really good time. It was really nice of their friends to do this for her. She really missed them when she was in New York. She was glad to be back home where she belongs.

When everyone left from the party, Gabby and Shay and Brianna helped Mia wash up and get changed into something more comfortable. Matt helped Kelly put everything away and get the house cleaned up. "So, not to be obvious, but what's the plan tonight? You guys going to talk?" Matt asked. Kelly put the last of the food in the fridge before turning to Matt. The boys turned to look at the girls who were coming downstairs.

"I have no idea. I am avoiding it" he replied.

Matt laughed and shook his head at Kelly. "Don't you think it would be important to find out? I mean I know things are complicated, but you are starting to be in Katie's life so are you going to talk to Mia about it or what?" Matt pushed.

"I know things are beyond complicated. I mean I am in Katie's life and I am starting to be a dad again. I don't want to give that up, but I don't know how to do that and be in Mia's life too. I mean we both know I really messed up man" he said.

On the other side of the room, the girls were having a similar conversation. "So Mia, what's the plan tonight? Are you going to talk to Kelly?" Brianna asked as they helped her to the couch. Mia blushed, "I don't know. We haven't really talked about it. I didn't even know he would be staying with me until today. I know he's really stepped up for Katie. She is so happy to have her dad back. I can't take that away from her. I need to figure things out. We do, for our daughter. I just need him to say something" she replied.

Gabby laughed, "Fat chance of that happening. Kelly Severide avoids serious conversations like the plague" she teased. Mia looked at Matt and Kelly in the kitchen and nodded in agreement. "I know. If it's not about Katie and how much he's tried spending time with her and trying to get back into her life, I can't get him to talk about what happened in the past. It's like he's afraid I'm going to run if we talk about it. In order for me to move on, I need to talk about it, I have to" she proclaimed.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Tommy looked back at his sister, "you expecting anyone Mia?" he asked. "No, I didn't even know what was happening with this party" she said.

Tommy walked to the door and opened it to see the doctor from the hospital. He recognized the trauma doc from when Mia was in the hospital.

"Doc, what can I do for you?" he asked. He didn't really like the guy. He much preferred her with Severide.

"I came to see Mia and check on her" he said feeling uncomfortable. Tommy nodded and let him in. Mia looked up from the kitchen and swallowed thickly. "Scott," she greeted and walked over to him slowly.

"Hey, I just wanted to come by and check on you. Make sure you were okay" he said. She smiled and leaned forward to give him a hug. "Thank you for coming. I really appreciate it. I know we haven't exactly defined where we are relationship wise and so I appreciate you coming by" she said.

"Let me stop you there. Look, I know things have been rough for us, but you live a different life Mia. Yeah we are both doctors, but you come from a family, a different way of living. I think we would be better off as friends, no hard feelings" he said.

She smiled, "really? You'd still be friends with me?" she asked.

He let out a little laugh, "you are joking right? I would get slaughtered at the hospital without you" he teased before pulling her into another hug. He pulled away and kissed her forehead, "don't worry, we'll be fine" he said.

She smiled and watched him walk over to Severide. "Take care of her" he shook his hand before leaving. Mia couldn't help but look at Severide like she was expecting something. He just diverted her eyes and went back to the guys.

Gabby and Brianna rubbed her back in comfort. They felt really bad for her. Finally, they got up and grabbed their stuff. "Let's go Casey, these two have a lot to figure out" Gabby grabbed Matt's hand and pulled him out. "We'll be on call if you need us" Brianna said as she stuck her head back in. They shut the door and laughed as Matt looked at the girls confused.

"Kelly, we need to talk" Mia said from the couch.

Kelly came over and sat across from her at the table. "What do you want to talk about?" he asked. Mia started playing with her hands and fiddling her fingers. She was nervous. This was not easy for her. "Well, we need to talk about what happened Kelly" she said.

"What are you talking about? If you need to talk about the head trauma, then we can" he said. She smiled and shook her head.

"That's not what I am talking about. I am talking about the past. I mean when you were getting the car today and George and Bobby were going over my discharge and insurance and all that, I realized something. You have really stepped up. I mean look at our daughter Kelly. She's so excited about having you in her life again. I can't take that away from her. I was selfish before. I just left and I knew I was pregnant" she explained.

"No Mia, I was selfish. I knew something was wrong with you. I knew there was more than cramps but I just let it go. To me, if you were okay, if I knew you could handle it then I could be okay and move on. I just literally moved on. I went to the firehouse and worked my ass off to get on Squad 3. It only hit me when I made it. I made it to Squad, I became lieutenant and when it came down to it, I had no one to share it with. I didn't have you. I came home to an empty house. I had no one to share my success with. You were my first thought but I couldn't do that to you. I can't do that to you" he said.

"No Kelly. It doesn't matter how much we grew apart or how much hurt we caused each other. You are my daughter's father. You are the first person who said I looked pretty. You are the first person to hold me when my mom died. You are the first person I kissed…who told me he loved me. We are going to be in each other's lives because you make my daughter happy and I am not going to take that away from her. Not again. So, for the time being, we are going to be in each other's lives and we are going to be friends. We started out as friends and there is no reason we can't go back there. I am always going to care for you and be there for you so let's not pretend that's not there" she said.

Kelly was speechless. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. She still cared about him. She was giving him his family…his life back. He didn't deserve it or her. He messed up so much. She just let him go with a clean slate. He looked at her with tears in his eyes. Mia was waiting for his reaction. He looked shocked. She was worried he would stop breathing.

She leaned forward and cupped his face, to try and get him to focus. "Kelly, I need you to breathe. Just take some deep breaths" she instructed. He finally took a big intake of breath and let out a gasping sob. Mia leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She couldn't help but start crying herself.

"It's okay. Kelly, it is okay" she repeated over and over. Kelly wrapped his arm around her and held her tight against him. He buried his head in the crook of her neck and couldn't help but sob. He just got his family back. When she said that she would give him a chance and let him be in their life with no questions asked, all he could see was all the wrong he did when they were apart.

He pulled away and looked at her with tears rolling down his cheeks. She cupped his cheeks and wiped his tears. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and her hands playing with the hair at the back of his neck. "I am so sorry Micah. I let you go without a second thought. I didn't fight for you. I didn't fight for us. I…I didn't know you were pregnant. I swear to God I didn't know. I promise you that if I knew I wouldn't have done what I did. I was…I had…it was just stupid. They didn't mean anything I promise you, they didn't mean anything" he cried.

Mia smiled and went to shake her head, but though better of it. "Kelly, I know. We both made mistakes. I doesn't matter anymore. That's in the past. What matters is our daughter. We have to ban together and raise our daughter okay, but I need you to promise me something" she said.

"Anything you want. Whatever you want and I'll do it" he interrupted.

"It's like you said. Last time we were both selfish. We were too focused on what we wanted in life and not on each other. I need you to promise me that we don't stop being ourselves. I am not trying to tie you down. You live your life the way you would without me in it okay. That was the problem last time, we were too focused on each other. I don't want to get in the way of your life. I need you to be honest with me though. Katie needs her father and I need you to be honest about everything. That's all I ask so please promise me" she said.

"I want to try something, but don't slug me" he said.

She nodded and let out a little laugh, "go ahead" she sat cross legged on the couch and faced him. "It's just I haven't done it in a while and I need to do this. Sort of like a thank you for giving me a clean slate" he said.

She nodded, "Okay, I'm ready" she said.

He wiped her tears and leaned forward slightly. She watched his every move and seemed to notice his intention. He brushed his lips against hers while keeping her gaze. He wanted to gauge her reaction. It only took a minute before she closed her eyes and the kiss heated up. They both poured their emotions into it. It was like they couldn't get enough of each other. She pulled him closer and leaned back against the couch so he was on top of her. He was kneeling half on the couch, half on her.

She opened her mouth to let their tongues battle for dominance and deepened the kiss. He groaned and pulled her closer, until they were smashed together. She moaned and fought for dominance, but easily gave in when he slipped his hand under her shirt and started rubbing circles on the small of her back.

She tried to focus, but she was starting to get dizzy. She pulled away and took a second to catch her breath before she smiled up at him. He was towering over her when he noticed her trying to catch her breath. He gave her a little quick kiss before moving to sit next to her on the couch.

Mia reached up to play with the hairs on the back of his neck. "What was that?" she asked, not that she didn't enjoy it. He smiled and wiped her swollen lips, "I just wanted to make sure you knew I was serious. I promise you and our daughter that I am going to be the best father I can be and always be there for you and my family. I am not Benny. Besides, I have wanted to kiss you since I almost lost you in the hospital" he vented.

"Don't worry, it will stay between us. We are supposed to be friends and I want you to have a normal life. We are not a couple we are just co-parenting and co-parents don't kiss" she said.

"I want you to promise me that you won't leave me, even when I'm acting like an ass because I can pretty much guarantee it's going to happen" he teased.

She smiled and cupped his face, "I am not going anywhere" she said.

"Good, now let's get you into bed. I'll take the guest room" he said. She nodded and slowly got up. She wrapped her arm around his neck and he helped her upstairs. She was already in her pajamas, so he just helped her in bed. He propped a pillow on top of her chest and laid her arm on top of it. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, look I know this is going to sound really weird and it's slightly embarrassing, but can you stay with me tonight?" she asked.

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah princes, I'll stay with you, no funny business though" he teased. She whacked his chest. "Don't be an ass" she replied as she cuddled into him and put her injured arm over his chest. He couldn't help but smile and hold her tight. This was going to be the best night's sleep he got in a while.


	9. Chapter 9- Surprise

**Hey Everyone. Thanks for all those who have read, favorite, reviewed, and followed this story. I really appreciate it. **

**So we know Severide is trying to win Mia back. It looks like progress but there is a twist. A new surprise comes from Kelly's past and ruins his efforts.**

**Stay tuned!**

**Please enjoy and please review!**

_**Previously…**_

"Yeah, look I know this is going to sound really weird and it's slightly embarrassing, but can you stay with me tonight?" she asked.

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah princes, I'll stay with you, no funny business though" he teased. She whacked his chest. "Don't be an ass" she replied as she cuddled into him and put her injured arm over his chest. He couldn't help but smile and hold her tight. This was going to be the best night's sleep he got in a while.

_**BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB**_

**Chapter 9 – Surprise**

***Written with inspirations from: **Miss Meggie and her story _Taking it too far. Thanks for the help!_

The next morning, Kelly woke up first. He had to get to work. He didn't want to leave Mia by herself. He knew that she would be up and around as soon as he left. It was how she was. She's a busy body.

It took him a minute to realize that he was at Mia's house. He looked down and smiled. Mia was laying with her head on his shoulder, under his chin and her arm was wrapped across his chest. He had his arms around her waist.

He noticed her tank top rise up and his fingers were in close vicinity to her tattoo. He still remembered the day they got their matching tattoos. It was their one year anniversary and Mia promised Kelly to do something really special for him. He didn't want anything but he did have a plan.

_**NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN- Flashback- NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN**_

_**Mia-22**_

_**Kelly- 23**_

_Kelly parked the car outside the tattoo parlor. His friend was the owner and he promised him a free tattoo as a gift to him and Mia. He just needed to get her into the door. He picked her up after work and she was freaking out the whole way._

"_Kelly, I don't think this is a good idea" she complained as he wrapped his arm around her when they got out of the car. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head in the crook of her neck. "Come on princess, I promise it'll be okay" he reassured. _

_She groaned and dragged as he led her into the parlor. "Kelly!" a big Spanish guy came over and grabbed Kelly in man hug. "Hey Philippe, thanks for doing this" he said. The guy waved it off. "It's no problem Kelly. After you rescued me from that fire, you saved my life. It's the least I can do! Is this the missus?" he asked._

_Kelly laughed and put his hand on the small of her back and pushed her forward a little. He put his arms on her shoulders and smiled, "yes, this is my wife, Mia. Princess, this is Ricky. He was in the fire down on 27__th__ street" Kelly informed. _

_Mia smiled and put her hand out. "Hi, nice to meet you Ricky" she said. "You're nervous. I can tell. Don't worry Bonita, I'll take care of you" he replied. She smiled and let out a little nervous laugh. "Okay, come on let's do this. If I think about it too long I am going to change my mind" she exclaimed._

_Ricky led her and Kelly back into the sectional. "Okay, so tell me, do you know what you want?" he asked. Mia smiled at Kelly, before turning to Ricky. She pulled out a picture from her purse and handed it to him. "Yeah, I had my friend draw it up for me. The only catch is that I want it to be a surprise so babe you can't look" she said. _

"_Alright" he helped her onto the table and sat with his back to the tattoo and in Mia's direction. He held her hand and caressed her hair. "I'm going to start Mia" Ricky said. Mia nodded and squeezed Kelly's hand. "You okay princess?" he asked._

"_Yeah, just promise me not to let go of my hand" she teased squeezing tighter. He smiled, leaned over and nuzzled into her. "You have no idea how much this means to me princess. That tattoo on you is going to be so sexy" he replied while brushing his lips against hers._

_She smiled against his lips, "Kelly I am not going to make out with you while I am getting a tattoo" she reprimanded. He pulled away and let out a laugh. "Alright fine, I can wait until we get home" he relented. _

"_Damn Severide, I guess we know who wears the pants in this relationship" Ricky teased. That made Mia laugh. "Aww, don't worry babe, maybe I'll let you wear the pants later" she wriggled her eyebrows at him._

_After 20 minutes, the tattoo was done. Ricky put a bandage over her hip. Kelly helped her put her jeans back on over her boy shorts. "Thank you Ricky, you were very gentle and kind. I didn't feel a thing" she said giving him a little hug._

_He kept his arm around her as he turned to Kelly with a smirk. "I like this one. She's a keeper" he said. Kelly laughed at their antics and pulled her into his arms, "very funny. Yeah I think I'll keep her" he added giving her a little kiss._

_She smiled and waved another cute little wave before they left. _

_**NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN- End Flashback-NNNNNNNNNNNNNN**_

He continued to rub circles along her tattoo and trail his fingers against her hip, where her panty line was. She moaned and tried to stretch into him, when she pulled back and groaned. She opened her eyes and grimaced.

Kelly couldn't help but laugh. "Damn, I used to get a more joyful reaction out of you. I think that's a first" he teased. She groaned and hit him in the stomach with her good hands. "Shut up Kelly. Can you go get me some pain pills? My head is killing me" she said.

Kelly grew concerned. "You want me to call Nina?" he asked. "No, I'll be okay. Just help me to the bathroom" she said. He pulled her up and put his arms around her waist. He helped her to the bathroom and held her up as she splashed some water on her face. "Are you sure you don't want me to call Nina?" he asked as they walked back into the room.

He sat her on the edge of the bed and knelt in front of her. She looked down at him and smiled. She caressed his cheek. "I'll be okay. This is common for people with my history. So is fatigue, dizziness and vomiting so don't be worried" she tried to reassure him.

In the other room, Katie woke up. She remembered her dad was over. She got out of bed and ran to her mom's room. "Mom, Dad, you're awake. Does this mean that dad is going to stay with us and you're back together?" she asked excited.

"Dad has work today and mommy isn't feeling too good. I'm kind of tired so how about a slow day. We'll make some popcorn and watch movies all day. How about that?" she asked. Katie got more excited. "Sure mommy. Are you okay?" she asked. Mia smiled, "yeah baby I'm fine" she replied.

"Why don't you go and wait for me in your room and I'll be in there in a second to help you get dressed" Kelly said. Katie nodded and ran into her room to wait for her dad. She started pulling out clothes and outfits she was going to wear. Even took out some movies for her and her mom to watch.

Before Kelly could say or do anything to help Mia, they heard someone knocking on the door. "Are you expecting anyone?" he asked. She glared at him. "You are very funny smart ass" she replied. He laughed a little and got up to make his way downstairs.

Katie was still playing with her dolls in her room, so he made her way to the door. There was still pounding. "I'm coming" he yelled.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see his Sister Nina standing there with groceries. She looked at him standing there with his boxers on and smiled. "Good Morning big brother" she walked in and put the bags on the kitchen island.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. He watched her move around his girls' house like she owned the place. Once she had the groceries put away, she pulled out some bagels and eggs. She grabbed some fruit and apple sauce for Katie.

"I should be asking you that and why you are only in boxers, but the answer is obvious, so I won't bother. I came to stay with Mia while you are at work. God knows she would have been up and about around the house as soon as you stepped out the door" she said getting everything ready.

He nodded in understanding. "Yeah tell me about it. Yesterday she wanted to act like she was back to normal. I'm glad someone will be with her today. Just know, she woke up feeling really dizzy and nauseas. She tried to downplay it but I think there's more to it" he said worried.

Nina nodded, "okay, I'll keep a watch on her. Make sure she takes her meds and takes it easy." She said.

" She slept okay though. Katie just woke up and she is getting ready for the day. Mia told her they were going to have a movie day. She really isn't feeling good" he said.

"Okay, don't worry. Go help her down and got get Katie. I'll be here today to help her" she said. "Okay, I'll be right back" he replied before turning and making his way to the stairs, "Oh, put some pants on would you, I've been scared enough" she teased. Kelly couldn't help but laugh. He could always count on his sister to bring a smile on his face.

He made it upstairs and peaked into his daughter's room. She looked up at him and smiled, "can you help me yet daddy?" she asked. "Hi princess, give me like two minutes okay. I have to help your mom downstairs" he said. She smiled and nodded in understanding.

"No, he'll help you first baby. I can get ready later" Kelly heard from the other end of the hall. He turned to see Mia standing in the doorway holding onto the door frame with dear life while looking as pale as a ghost. Kelly glared at her, "I thought you were going to wait for me" he said.

She glared at him, "I am a doctor. I lived on my own all through residency and fellowship. I can handle getting dressed on my own" she retorted before turning back into her room and into the bathroom to wash up a bit.

"Fine, Nina's downstairs getting breakfast ready. She's going to stay with you today while I'm at work. I'll take Katie down and be right back to help you" he said. She nodded and slowly made her way back into the room.

He just shook his head as he watched her use the wall for support. She was still dizzy and slightly pale. George said for her to rest. She didn't know how to do that. She was always a busy body. She didn't know how to relax. They didn't want to put her on bed rest, but if she didn't give herself time to heal and slowly adjust to normal life, they were going to have to.

Kelly walked into Katie's room and sat next to her on the bed. "Okay kiddo, did you brush your teeth and wash your face?" he asked. "Yeah, can you reach my shorts? Mama has them hanging" she pointed to her jean shorts. She ended up wearing jean shorts, a princess tank top and her sandals. Kelly did her hair in pig tails and walked downstairs with her.

"Come on kiddo, Aunt Nina is going to make you some breakfast while I help mommy" he said helping her down the stairs. She squealed and smiled when she saw Nina. She let go of her dad's hand and took off.

"Aunt Nina!" she called before running into Nina's arms. Nina knelt down and squeezed Katie into her. "Hi niece! Did you have a good night with your mom and dad?" she asked. "Yeah, daddy had a sleepover with mommy" she replied. Nina couldn't help but look up at Kelly and laugh. "I bet he did. Why don't you have a seat at the island and I'll get you some breakfast" she pushed her along.

Kelly went back upstairs to help Mia. He knew she would need help, but he also knew that she had a pride about her. He didn't want her to feel like she was useless. He walked into the room to find Mia sitting on the bed still in an old squad shirt of his and some shorts that the girls helped her into last night.

She was too tired to change by herself. She had tears rolling down her face. "I took Katie down for breakfast. She's telling Nina about our sleepover, so she's taken care of. Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked.

He wanted to go easy on this. She knew she would be embarrassed and he didn't want to push her. He knew it went against everything in her nature to ask for help. He didn't want to make it any harder for her. "Can you help me take a shower and change? I walked into the bathroom but I didn't have enough energy to do it on my own" she started sobbing.

Kelly knelt in front of her and tilted her chin up to look at him. He didn't want her to feel bad about it. He wiped her tears and kissed her cheek. "Mia, I know I haven't been there for you in the past, but I swear to you that I am going to be there for you and help you through this. You don't have to feel bad about asking me for help okay. There is nothing to be embarrassed about, so please let me in a little" he said.

She cried a little harder at his declaration and wrapped her arms around his neck. He hugged her close and helped her up and into the bathroom. "Can you take a shower?" he asked. "Yeah, I got my stitches out already" she said. He nodded and ran the water. Once he set the water up the right temperature, he picked her up and stripped her of her clothes, while looking into her eyes the whole time.

He ran his fingers over her scars that were by her tattoo. He knelt so he was face to face with her stomach. He kept his eyes on hers as he leant forward and kissed her incision. She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through his hair. She was really glad he was here for her. If her brother were here, which he wanted to be, it would have been too awkward, not that it wasn't awkward with Kelly.

He stood up and helped her into the shower. The way her shower was built, there was a little bench, sort of like an indentation in the wall. He helped her sit there so she wasn't so dizzy anymore. He didn't want her to fall and hurt herself. Kelly stripped into his boxers and got in behind her.

He was trying to keep the images and the feelings going through him to a minimum. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable just because he couldn't keep his brain under control. Mia looked up at him and smiled reassuringly. She knew he would be feeling something. It was natural. She couldn't help but give him a once over.

"It's okay Kelly" she said.

He nodded and grabbed her body wash, warm spice and vanilla, she always smelled like vanilla. She loved it and so did he. He squeezed it onto the loofa and helped her stand. She nodded, indicating that she was okay to stand. He let out a nervous breath and nodded. He held her with one arm around her waist and rubbed the loofa against her with the other.

The pressure of the loofa against her skin, the feel of his breath at her neck. He was being so gentle with her. She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. He was facing her with his back to the water, even though her stitches were out, he was still nervous. He carefully placed her under the water and watched the suds roll of her body.

Their eyes met and the tension returned. The passion was still there. She leaned into him and rested her forehead against his. The more their gazes met, it was like he was looking into her. She could see the love in his eyes. He cared for her so much. She could see that when he was holding her.

She closed the gap between them and kissed him. Before he could get a chance to pull away or protest, he didn't want to push her, she deepened the kiss. His hands found their way into her wet hair around the side of her neck and into her hair to hold her head. He pulled her into him to deepen the kiss even further. He heard her sigh and felt her melt into his arms.

She pulled on the back of his neck to bring him even closer. He walked her backwards so she could rest against the back of her shower wall. He broke the kiss and pressed sloppy kisses down the line of her jaw and the side of her neck. He remembered her sweet spot behind her ear and made his way to it.

She gasped for breath and tilted her head back for more access. Mia was on fire. Her senses were in overdrive. The feel of his kisses, his touch, the steam of the shower, it was all getting to her. She felt as if she let go of him, it would all be over. As if it was a dream. "Kelly" she moaned out.

He pulled away and let her catch her breath. The sound of her voice brought him out of his haze. It brought him back to reality. He can't do this. He wanted to win her back the right way. He didn't want to take advantage of her.

He pulled way and looked at her with lust blown eyes, her swollen lips, and a tinge of pink in her cheeks. Her chest was heaving. She was trying to get her head on straight. They didn't say anything. He shut off the water and helped her out. He helped her sit on the edge of the shower.

She grabbed a towel and started drying herself off. Her mind was reeling. She couldn't believe she did that. First she said that they were just going to be friends, and now she was kissing him. She didn't know what to make of it.

She walked over to the dresser and took out some sweats and an old squad 3 t-shirt of Kelly's. She wasn't going anywhere so she didn't care what she looked like. Besides, this whole thing with Severide had her confused. She didn't know what to think of herself. She didn't know what to do with herself.

Kelly was leaning on the counter in the bathroom with the same thoughts running through his head. He didn't know what to make of her like that. He didn't want to push her so fast, even though she kissed him first. He still took it and ran with it.

He grabbed a pair of boxers out of his bag and changed into some clothes. He had to make his way to the firehouse. He let out a nervous breath and made his way back into the bedroom. He saw that she was wearing a squad 3 shirt with the sweats at her ankles. He walked over, knelt down and helped her pull her pants up.

He sat next to her and gathered his stuff for work. "I'm sorry Kelly" she said. He looked over and smiled. "You didn't hear me complaining Mia. I just don't want to take advantage of the situation. I mean, I know you want us to be friends, but we need to be honest with each other. We are never going to be just friends. We've been through too much" he said.

She smiled at him, "Yeah I know, but I promise that we'll be as close to friends as ex-lovers, ex-spouses and co-parents can be" she said.

"As long as you don't jump me again" he teased.

She scoffed and hit him over the shoulder all the while both of them started laughing. After a minute they both sobered up. "So are you ready buddy?" He asked.

"Yeah, let's do this" she wrapped her arm around his waist. He put an arm around her and carried his bag in the other. He helped her to the top of the stairs and stopped. He looked at her questioningly. "I'll be okay. Just go slow" she said.

He nodded and they took the stairs a little at a time. "Morning Nina" Mia greeted as Kelly helped her onto the couch. "Morning, how are you feeling?" she asked. "I'm okay. You staying with me today?" she asked.

"Yeah, I have the day off and I could use a girls day" Nina replied as she walked over with some breakfast. She handed Mia a plate and gave Kelly a cooler with some top aware. "These are for the Firehouse. I am sure Mills is tired of cooking for you all" she said.

"Thanks Nina" he grabbed the bag and leaned over to give Mia a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you later okay. Behave today" he warned. She smiled up at him, "bye. Be safe and have a good shift" she called after him.

Kelly walked over to Katie at the kitchen table. "Bye monkey" he knelt down and kissed her forehead. Katie turned to her dad, "you're not going to stay with us daddy? We're having a movie day" she informed. He smiled at his daughter. "I know monkey and you should have fun with your mom and Aunt Nina. Daddy has to go to work, but I promise when I come home we'll have our own movie night tomorrow" he gave her another quick kiss before getting up to leave.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow morning" he said before leaving. "Hey be careful. I'm serious Severide, I better not get any phone calls tonight. Be safe and don't do anything stupid" she was totally serious. He laughed and waved her off before kissing his sisters head and leaving. "Bye daddy" Katie called after him.

Kelly walked out to his car and threw his bag into the backseat. He took more look at the townhouse before shaking his head and driving off. He loved the time he spent yesterday with his girls. It was like they were a real family. He loved the feeling he got when he spent time with them.

On the way to the firehouse, all Kelly could think about was Katie's upcoming birthday. She was going to be 7, and moving up to the second grade in school. She was really excited. Kelly had the perfect gift for her. He would need Casey's help, but that wouldn't be a problem. The guys would help him out. They loved Mia and Katie.

As soon as Kelly walked into the firehouse, he was surrounded by all the guys. Gabby, Shay, Matt and Clarke came forward first. "So, how was your night with Mia and Katie? Mia feeling okay?" Gabby asked. Her and Shay were the ones who understood the medical stuff.

"She's doing okay. She was a little tired this morning, but she's healing. Nina is with her today. Going to take most of the load off, but Mia's resilient. She could barely stand this morning without getting sick, but she wanted to take care of Katie all day by herself" he vented.

Everyone nodded in understanding. They knew Mia would have a hard time being on light duty. She didn't know how to relax. She couldn't even if she tried. "Well, we'll be bye to check on her tomorrow after shift. She needs today to just rest and relax at home," Gabby said.

After changing into his gear, Kelly set up the breakfast on the counter in the kitchen. They just had to reheat the food Nina made. The guys were all over it. As expected, Mills was thrilled that he didn't have to make breakfast for once. He had to have thanked Nina and complimented her a thousand times.

"Hey Clarke, you better watch out, it looks like you got competition for Nina's heart" Hermann teased.

Clarke just growled and glared at Hermann first then Mills. Nina was his girl and everyone knew that, they just loved to tease him about it. No one thought they would end up together; Clarke being so…Clarke and Nina being so warm and loving.

"Shut up Hermann, we all know, Nina and Clarke are solid. They are all over each other all the time" Shay defended Clarke.

Severide practically choked on his breakfast, "That's my sister Shay" he exclaimed.

The breakfast went along like any other at the firehouse. They were all like a family. They teased and joked with each other. The shift was pretty calm. They haven't had any major calls, so the guys were just lazing around the firehouse.

At the house, Mia, Nina and Katie were watching _A Princess Diaries_ while eating popcorn and drinking soda for Nina, flavored club soda for Mia and apple juice for Katie. "That's a really cool movie mom. Her grandma is a princess. Is my grandma a princess?" she asked.

Mia let out a little laugh. "No baby both your grandma's are not princesses, but they are better than princesses. They are both angels. They are in heaven watching over us" she tried to explain. Her daughter is smart, but she is only six.

"Is that why daddy came back and you got better?" she asked.

Mia looked at Nina for a second before looking back at her daughter. "Yeah baby. That's exactly why your dad came back to us and I got better. Because your grandma Catherine and grandma Lydia knew that you needed your daddy and your mommy" she reassured.

Then Katie turned towards her Aunt Nina. "Aunt Nina, do you miss your mommy? Is that why daddy stayed away? Was he too sad?" she asked. Nina pulled Katie into her lap, "your dad is my big brother. He always took care of me. When your grandma died your dad wanted to take care of me. He likes to stay strong for everyone. Your dad didn't want you to see him sad, so he had to wait to feel better to see you okay?" Nina asked.

She wanted to make sure that she understood that Kelly really wanted to be in her life, but he wasn't in the right mind to know he had a daughter. "I know that daddy loves me. He told me he's going to be in my life forever" she smiled at the thought. She was excited about having a dad.

"Well, I want you to know that just because mommy and daddy aren't together, that doesn't mean that daddy doesn't love you and that he won't be there for you because I promise that we are always going to be there for you okay?" Mia said.

Katie nodded and they got back to the movie. Nina looked over at the end of the movie and noticed that both mom and daughter were fast asleep. They needed to rest. Mia had a rough morning. She was feeling really sick.

Nina covered the duo with a throw blanket and went to make some dinner. This was the time for Nina to clean up the house and make some food to stock up Mia's fridge. No doubt her brother would be spending a lot of time there and God knows he can't cook to save his life.

At the firehouse, Kelly wanted to get his plan for Katie's birthday gift rolling. "Hey Casey, I need your help. I want to make Katie's birthday the best it can be and I was thinking of a gift for her. You know how she loves the firehouse?" he asked.

"Yeah, Mia was saying that she loves everything firefighting. What did you want to do?" Matt asked. "Tell me about it. The other day when I staid over with Katie and Mia, she put on my turnout coat and walked around carrying a straw pretending to splash water everywhere. I want to incorporate that into her gift and I was thinking that I happen to know someone who knows how make things" he hinted.

Matt couldn't help but smirk. "What do you need me to do? You want me to make her something?" Matt asked. He was clearly enjoying the fact that Kelly needed his help and was coming to him for something for a change.

"Well, I was thinking, since Katie likes the firehouse so much and she has that playroom at the apartment with practically nothing in it, that we could build her a life-size firehouse. I mean we have time since her birthday isn't for a couple months. I just want to do something right" he practically pleaded.

Matt smiled and nodded, "Kelly you don't have to beg. You know I'll do it. That girl is something special. I would do anything for her. I'll get the equipment we just need the space to work" he said. Kelly nodded, "thanks Casey, this really means a lot" he admitted. Matt just clapped him over the shoulder.

"Excuse me Lieutenant Severide, you have a visitor" Mills said.

Kelly looked at Matt curious before both of them walked out of the common room and into the garage. Kelly froze in pace when he saw who was standing outside. She had on a dinky leather jacket, a mini skirt with fish tail tights, black pumps and a crop top underneath it.

It was still nice out but the season was changing. The leaves were starting to turn colors and fall was fast approaching. She had to be cold. She was hugging herself as if trying to keep warm. Shay and Dawson came over to stand with Matt and Kelly.

"Is that who I think it is?" Casey asked.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Shay added.

"What do you think she wants? Why is she dressed like that?" Dawson interjected.

Kelly ignored all of them and walked out to stand in front of her. He looked her over. She definitely changed from the last time he saw her. "Hi Kelly" she greeted. "What are you doing here Renee?" he asked.

She squeezed her arms tighter against her, "I had nowhere else to go. I'm in really bad shape Kelly. I need help. I want to get help but I don't know how. I really need your help" she pleaded.

He nodded and led her into the firehouse. He ignored the looks he was getting and led her into his office. He grabbed a change of clothes for her. A pair of sweats, a t-shirt and sweatshirt. "You can take a shower and change. I'll call Eric and let him know you are here" he said.

She nodded and smiled while holding the clothes. "Thanks Kelly" she replied as she made her way to the showers.

Shay just watched him and Renee. "What is she doing here Kelly?" she asked. "She needs help. I'm letting her shower and change into some warm clothes while I call her brother. He can deal with her" he explained.

"You better remember your goal that you are planning to get your family back. You can't let Renee drag you back into her drama" she said.

"I am just helping her out Shay. You don't need to throw Mia and Katie in my face. I know they are my family. They are my heart and that's not going to change just because an old friend needs help. I won't lose them" he argued.

After her shower, Renee changed into the sweats Kelly gave her and made her way back into his office. He had a plate of lunch waiting for her. She helped herself. The food was really good. "So Kelly, anyone special in your life?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah actually. I have a daughter, Katie. She's 6. I love her and her mom more than anything" he replied. She looked down and started playing with her food nodding. "That's really nice Kelly. I'm glad things turned out good for you" she said.

"You'll get there" he reassured.

"Excuse me lieutenant, but Lt. Whaley is here" Mills said. "Thanks Mills, we'll be right down" he replied.

Renee grabbed her clothes and stuffed them into her bag. She snuggled into the sweats Kelly gave her and followed him out. Eric was waiting in the driveway of the firehouse. Renee turned to Kelly and let out a big breath. "Here it goes" she said. "Hey, you'll get through this. You are strong and stubborn. Just stay positive and you'll make it through" he replied. She smiled and gave him a hug.

"Thank you Lt. Severide" she whispered into his ear. He kissed her forehead and watched as Eric pulled away.

He turned back to the firehouse and let out a big breath as Matt came up next to him. "How are you going to tell Mia?" Casey asked.

"SHIT" Kelly swore when the reality of the situation came to him. Matt just patted his back and laughed a little amused, "yeah" he agreed.

Kelly was in the hole. Only question now was is he going to lie about it and dig himself deeper or tell Mia the truth and bury it.

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**Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review!**


	10. Chapter 10-The Dinner

**Hey everyone! Thank you all for reading my story and taking interest. I really appreciate all the favorites, follows, and views!**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope 2015 brings you everything you aspire!**

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I have been dealing with some health issues, so I've been busy. Please be patient, I will continue this story and am glad to see what you think of it. I am excited for more and hope you are as well.**

**PLEASE MAKE MY DAY AND REVIEW! I would greatly appreciate it! I am feeling kind of down being sick and in the hospital and a review would bring a smile to my face!**

**Notes:**

**So there is going to be a little bit of a time jump in this chapter. I just want to get things moving a little quicker. **

**Enjoy and Please Review!**

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_**Previously….**_

Renee grabbed her clothes and stuffed them into her bag. She snuggled into the sweats Kelly gave her and followed him out. Eric was waiting in the driveway of the firehouse. Renee turned to Kelly and let out a big breath. "Here it goes" she said. "Hey, you'll get through this. You are strong and stubborn. Just stay positive and you'll make it through" he replied. She smiled and gave him a hug.

"Thank you Lt. Severide" she whispered into his ear. He kissed her forehead and watched as Eric pulled away.

He turned back to the firehouse and let out a big breath as Matt came up next to him. "How are you going to tell Mia?" Casey asked.

"SHIT" Kelly swore when the reality of the situation came to him. Matt just patted his back and laughed a little amused, "yeah" he agreed.

Kelly was in the hole. Only question now was is he going to lie about it and dig himself deeper or tell Mia the truth and bury it.

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**Chapter 10 – The Dinner**

It has been a couple months since Mia got out of the hospital. She's been doing really well and her relationship with Kelly has been growing. They have been getting closer as a couple and as a family. He's been around more and helping with Katie and around the house.

For Halloween, he even came over and took Katie trick or treating. It was really cute to see her holding her dad's hand, dressed as a princess firefighter. He was holding her pumpkin for her and they were walking around the neighborhood. Katie was having the time of her life. Mia took tons of pictures that night. They all had a really good time.

Today was Thanksgiving and Mia had just picked Katie from school. It was pretty cold outside. It was just starting to snow and it was freezing. Mia had a car full of baked goods and a daughter who was venting about her day. "Mom, where are we going?" Katie asked. Mia looked into the rearview mirror, "we are going to have Thanksgiving with your dad at the firehouse. Then tomorrow we are going to have dinner at Grandpa's house" she informed.

"Oh ok. Is daddy coming with us tomorrow?" she asked.

Mia couldn't help but smirk. She knew Kelly hated getting dressed up and going to these things. He always tried to avoid it when they were together, there is no way he is going to go willingly. "I don't know baby, daddy might be too tired after work. You'll have to ask him when you see him" she replied.

"Do you think he'll like my outfit?" she asked. She spent an hour last night trying to figure out what to wear. She wore some brown leggings, brown uggs and a brown sweater set with a striped scarf around her neck. Her hair was down and she had a nice head band on.

"I think he will love your outfit. Don't be surprised if daddy doesn't notice details though. That's what happens with boys. They don't notice details" she teased. Katie shook her head, "no mama, daddy does. He even did my hair and helped me get ready when you were sick" she defended her dad.

"Mama, why do we have Thanksgiving?" she asked.

"A long time ago, when America was first discovered, the pioneers had to live along with the Native Americans. Thanksgiving is when the Native Americans and the English Settlers came together and had a dinner together. They got along with each other and had a dinner with each other. That's why we are having dinner with our family today" Mia explained.

"Like Pocahontas?" she asked. Her daughter was really into the Disney Princesses. She loved using Disney to relate to everything.

"Yeah, just like the Native Americans like Pocahontas. They came to James Town and had dinner with the English Settlers. That's why today we are going to have dinner with our families" she said.

"Oh, cool" Katie replied. She was sitting the back reading her Thanksgiving book. It was basically a book that Mia got from the dollar store that explained what Thanksgiving was all about. She loved it. She's spend all last night making paper turkeys for all the guys at the firehouse and for everyone in her family. She was really excited.

Mia pulled up to the firehouse and parked right in front of the firehouse. She helped Mia out of the backseat and laughed a little as she put her purse on her shoulder and around her body. She grabbed the cooler and held her hand.

"Look both ways mama" Katie said.

Mia smiled and nodded. She bent over a little and looked both ways before they crossed the street to the firehouse. Truck was there but the Squad truck was missing. Mia knew that it meant they were on a call. "Daddy's on a call" she informed.

Katie nodded and held her mom's hand as they walked into the firehouse. Once they made their way into the common room and Katie saw all the guys, she freaked out. "Uncle Matt!" she called. Matt smiled and knelt down with open arms. He caught her in a hug once she got close enough.

"Hey kiddo, Happy Thanksgiving! How are you doing today?" he asked as he kissed her cheek. He walked over to the kitchen and sat her down on the counter so he could take off her coat and everything.

"Happy Thanksgiving!" she called out to everyone.

Katie made her way around the common room to everyone to greet them and wish them a Happy Thanksgiving. When she was done, she made her way over to the pouch. She put her purse on the couch and gave Mouch a pointed look, "Can you watch my purse Uncle Mouch?" she asked.

She looked so serious that Mouch couldn't help but smile. He bowed a little, "of course" he replied. She nodded and made her way over to the firehouse puppy to play with him while Mia and Matt unloaded the cooler.

They wanted to set up the kitchen and get everything ready so when Squad 3 came back, they could sit down for dinner. "Uncle Matt, how long is daddy going to be gone?" she asked after a while. She missed her dad. Since Mia had gotten out of the hospital, Kelly always calls when she gets out of school, before she goes to bed and in the morning before school. They either talk on the phone or face-time. It was their thing. Mia was just glad that they were getting a chance to get to know each other.

"I don't know kiddo, let me find out" he walked out of the kitchen and over to the communication desk. He picked up the radio and called Squad 3. "51 to Squad 3, what's your ETA?" he asked. After a minute, he got a reply. "We're 5 minutes out Casey" Severide replied very short and prompt.

Matt grew somber. He knew that the call went bad. He didn't want to say anything in front of Katie, but Mia could tell by the look on his face that things went bad. She went to try and make her way over to Matt to ask him about the call, but the S quad 3 truck came rolling in. They had a rough call and Mia wanted to make sure Kelly was okay, but as soon they saw the Truck rolling in, Katie took off.

"DADDY!" Katie yelled when she saw the guys coming out of the truck. She didn't notice the look on their faces. Everyone knew they had a rough call. When Kelly heard his daughter, he turned and smiled when he saw her running towards him. He knelt down and caught her with open arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug while he wrapped his arms around his daughter and held her close.

He missed her so much these last few days he was working and he wasn't able to see her. With this call they went on and what happened, this was exactly what he needed. He needed his family. "Hi monkey" he greeted as he held her close. He needed her innocence. She pulled away after a minute and kissed his cheek. She looked her dad over and frowned. She could tell something was wrong. She didn't like what she was seeing.

She cupped his face, "are you okay daddy? Don't be sad. Today is Thanksgiving and mama said we are having family dinner just like Pocahontas" she said. He smiled and couldn't help but laugh. He pulled her in for another hug before kissing her temple, "I'm okay monkey" he replied. She was only six years old and she was comforting him.

"Are you sure?" she asked unconvinced. He smiled at her persistence. She was just like her mom. "Yeah monkey, I'm fine" he replied with another kiss to her temple. He carried her into the firehouse and smiled when he saw Mia waiting at the Squad table with concern written all over her face. She smiled when she saw Kelly with Katie. She knew he needed his time with his daughter.

He stopped right in front of her. She looked them with a smile, "you okay?" she asked searching his eyes for the real answer. She knew he wouldn't admit anything in front of Katie, but she wanted to be sure he was really okay. He smiled at her, "I will be" he replied. She nodded really searching his eyes. There was more to it.

She would leave it for now. She didn't want to make a scene in front of her daughter. She was just glad that Katie made it okay for him, even if it was just for a little while. "So, whose ready for dinner?" she asked changing the subject.

They all made their way to the table and sat down. Severide kept Katie in his lap, so Mia sat next to them. "Daddy, do you like my outfit? Mommy helped me get ready, she said you would like it" she said. He looked her over and smiled. "You look beautiful monkey. Very festive" he replied. She beamed.

Mills put the turkey on the table and took his seat. Chief Boden got up to carve it. It was tradition. He looked around the table beaming. He was proud to serve with all these courageous men and women, he was proud to call them family.

"Here at 51, we have a tradition. We always name our turkey, so in honor of this tradition, what are we naming this turkey?" he asked. Everyone took a minute to think of something. Before anyone had a chance to reply, Katie raised her hand. Everyone let out a little laugh, "what's up monkey?" Kelly asked.

"What about Pocahontas? Mama said that the Native Americans had dinner with the Settlers in Jamestown. They got together and became friends. Just like Pocahontas, who was Native American and she married John Smith, who was a settler, right mama?" she asked looking over at Mia.

Mia laughed a little, "yes baby, that's right" she replied. She had no other excuse, she was the one who told Katie what happened on Thanksgiving way back when. Chief Boden let out a little laugh, "Okay then, any objections to Pocahontas here?" he asked. With the way Kelly was glaring at everyone, no one stood a chance to object.

"Alright, thank you Katie Severide for naming our turkey" he said before carving it. They had a great dinner. Everyone was laughing, talking and having a really good time. They were acting just like a family. Mia felt right at home. She missed everyone at the firehouse when she was away. She couldn't help but look over at Katie and Kelly.

The way they were with each other. Katie was so excited to be with the guys at the firehouse, more importantly her dad. The way that Kelly looked at her, it was like he couldn't believe she was there. She was so excited to have her dad back, Mia was glad that she was able to be there for him when he needed her.

After dinner, Kelly and Katie were sitting at the Squad table playing cards with the rest of the guys. Mia finished in the kitchen and walked over to them. She stopped short when she heard what they were talking about. Only her daughter could bring up the subject of family dinner and not face the wrath of Kelly Severide.

"Daddy, mama said we are going to Grandpa Danny's house tomorrow for dinner. Are you going to come with us?" she asked.

Kelly took a minute. He pulled away and shifted her around so she was sitting on the Squad table facing him. "I don't think so kiddo. We already had dinner together. You should go with your mom and have dinner with your grandpa and uncle" he informed.

She didn't like that answer. She thought for sure he would say yes. That was what Thanksgiving was all about; Family time together. "But mama said that Thanksgiving was about having dinner with your family. You are my daddy, you have to come. You are my family. Mama is my mom, Uncle Johnny and Uncle Tommy are my uncles, Aunt Brianna is my aunt, Grandpa Danny is my grandpa and you are my daddy. Everyone will be there. It will be missing without you. My family won't be full without you. You have to come" she cried.

The look on her face was enough to make anyone reconsider their choice. "Baby, you had time with my family and now you are going to have dinner with your mom's family. Everyone has to have turns" he tried to explain.

Katie shook her head, "that doesn't make sense daddy. I don't have two families. I have one family and you are part of my family. You are my dad. The family will be incomplete without you, you have to be there. It's my first Thanksgiving with you and mama in Chicago. It will be horrible if you aren't there" she exclaimed.

Mia crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back against the doorway and just listened to their conversation. She had to admit, her daughter was selling it pretty hard. She really wanted her dad to come with them.

Kelly just looked at his daughter and let out a little laugh, "damn kid, you are just like your mom when you want something. You start using big words and spout logic to get your way, you know that?" he teased.

Mia couldn't help but let out a laugh. They both turned to look at her. She walked over and stood behind them and sat on the Squad table. "So, what's going on here kiddo?" she asked. Katie turned in her dad's arms so she could sit sideways and face both of her parents at the same time. "Mama, I told daddy about our dinner with grandpa tomorrow and he doesn't want to go. He said I need to take turns between the families because I have two families" she explained.

Mia tried to keep a straight face as her daughter was relaying her problems to her. She looked over at Kelly for an explanation. "I tried to tell her that she should enjoy her time with her grandpa, her uncles, and her aunt, without having to worry about me" he tried to defend himself, but soon realized that he was failing.

The guys were watching amused. They all knew Kelly was going to give in. There was no way he's not with both Mia and Katie on him. "What's going on here?" Casey asked. Before Kelly could explain things rationally, Katie jumped in. "Uncle Matt, daddy doesn't want to come to Thanksgiving at grandpa's house tomorrow. He said he's not part of the family" she explained.

Matt pretended to gasp and put his hand to his chest. "He did?" he just egged on. It was fun getting back at Kelly for all the teasing he did. Katie was his perfect way of getting his friendly revenge. Kelly knew exactly what Matt was doing and just glared. He couldn't believe they were using his daughter against him.

"Yes he did. It would be excruciatingly tragic if dad wasn't there. The family wouldn't be full" she huffed out.

Everyone laughed at how exasperated she sounded. It was like the world was ending because her dad wasn't going to Thanksgiving dinner with her mom's side of the family.

Kelly just stared at his daughter in amusement. She was really working it hard to get him to come. "Why do you want me to come so bad?" he asked. He really wanted to know. She was pulling out the works.

"Because daddy, this is my first Thanksgiving where I have a dad. I want to take you with me. Everyone else always comes with their dad and I have no one. This time you are here. Please come with us" she begged.

There wasn't a dry eye in the house. That little girl really knew how to get to everyone. Kelly couldn't help but feel guilt wash over him. He never thought about how much this meant to her…how much he meant to her. There was no way he was going to refuse her this.

"Of course I'll go with you baby" he said pulling her into him for a hug. She got really excited and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Really?" she asked just to be sure. He smiled and nodded, "absolutely" he replied. She launched herself at him.

Kelly met Mia's gaze over his daughters shoulder. She was trying to hold in the tears, but couldn't help but let a few slip out. This is what he was there for. He was there for his family…his girls. He smiled at Mia before pulling away from Katie.

"What do you say we head home?" he asked.

"Okay" she replied as she climbed down from his lap to get her stuff from the common room. Once she was gone, Kelly got up and wrapped his arm around Mia so she could cry in his chest. "Hey, you okay?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded while wiping her tears, "yeah I'm fine. I just never thought about how much this means to her Kelly. She never said anything before. I mean, of course I noticed how she would get when the dad's would come with their kids, but she never told me how she felt before. Thank you for agreeing to come. I know you don't really want to" she replied.

"Well, it's not that I don't want to, it's just I have to get prepared for battle now. At least I have you and Katie on my side. Your family is going to crucify me" he teased. He tried to cheer her up. He didn't deal well with emotion. He didn't like to see anyone he loves hurting.

She laughed as Casey came over and patted Kelly's shoulder. "At least you have Johnny and Chief D on your side" he added. Loving how easy it was to tease Kelly. Severide just glared his fellow lieutenant. "You are not that funny" he replied. Casey let out a little laugh before going to change out of his turnouts.

"Let's not forget that Katie has a knack of sticking up for the lieutenant here or did you all forget what happened at the hospital" Clarke added.

Mia looked on confused, "what happened?" she asked. No one told her anything about what happened while she was unconscious, other than she had a lot of visitors and people looking out for her.

"Well, when you first were in surgery, Dr. Clemmens threw a fit because Kelly is your next of kin and your emergency contact. He started blaming Kelly for not getting you out of the building fast enough and just ridiculous things that he knew nothing about. Well before any of us could get a word in edge wise to back him up, Katie really laid into him. She told him that he's her dad and she's not going to let him talk to Severide like that" Otis explained.

"She maybe pint size De Luca, but she's got a WHOLE lot of Severide in her" Hermann observed.

Mia just groaned and wiped a hand over her face, "God help me" she teased. "Hey! What's wrong with a little Severide Jr. running around?" he played along. "Oh nothing Kelly, all we are saying is watch out" Shay teased. That statement made everyone laugh.

What they were all saying couldn't be closer to the truth. True that Mia raised her daughter to be calm and collected, but that girl was 99.9% Severide.

"I'm ready" Katie returned with Matt already in her jacket and all bundled up. She had her purse slung over her shoulder and her gloves in hand.

"Okay, you know the drill" Mia said as she started to bundle up herself. Katie made her way around and gave everyone a hug goodbye and thanking Mills for dinner.

She gave the Chief an extra-long hug and pulled out another turkey, "Bye Chief Boden. Thanks for letting me name the turkey. I know I already gave you a turkey, but this is for Donna" she replied referring to his girlfriend. The chief couldn't help but smile, "thank you sweetheart, I am sure she will love it" he replied.

Once she was done with her goodbyes, she made her way over to her dad. He picked her up and carried her to Mia's SUV. He got her buckled in her booster seat while Mia loaded up the trunk with all her empty dishes and Tupperware. "I'll meet you at the house" he said as she jumped into the driver's seat. She nodded and turned toward the back, "say bye to your dad princess" she said.

Katie looked out her window and waved, "bye daddy. See you later" she replied. Kelly smiled and reached in to kiss her cheek, "see you later monkey" he responded as he watched them drive off.

Kelly had one more thing to do before going to see Mia and Katie. He was only doing it because of this new plan he had to get his life and family in order. He did it for his girls. He got in his car and drove about an hour out of town.

He pulled up to a house and parked in the driveway. He didn't really know how this was going to go, but he had to get it over with. He knocked on the door a few times and waited. After about a minute, a woman opened the door with two kids at her feet. She gasped when she realized who he was.

"Kelly?" she asked surprised. She hadn't seen him in over 5 years. To say she wasn't expecting him was an understatement.

He smiled and shoved his hands in his pocket. "Hi Beth, is he here? I need to talk to him about something" he asked her. He didn't know why he got nervous all of a sudden. He knew she would be surprised, but her reaction threw him.

She got over the shock and smiled. She opened the door wider and let him in. "He's out back, just go straight through the kitchen to the back door" she replied. He nodded gratefully and made his way through the house. It looked cozy.

At the sound of the backdoor opening, the man outside figured it was his wife, "I heard a car pull up. Who was at the door honey?" he asked.

Kelly let out a nervous breath, "it was me, dad" he said and watched as Captain Benjamin 'Benny' Severide turned around to look at his on. He hasn't seen him since he joined the Rescue Squad, but he kept tabs on him. He knew all the successes and achievements Kelly had in his life. He was really surprised to see him.

"Kelly, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I need to talk to you. Is there somewhere we can talk?" he replied getting straight to the point. He really just wanted to get out of there, but this had to be done.

Benny led him further into the yard where there was a patio set. Kelly sat down facing his dad. Benny couldn't help but look his son over. He looked good, happy. Kelly was doing the same. He felt a little resentment at the fact that Benny was happy with another family, when he up and left Kelly and his mother years ago.

"What can I do for you son? What's going on Kelly because we both know I am the last person you would come to, to talk about anything" Benny said.

"Do you remember Mia De Luca? We were married for a while. Chief De Luca's daughter?" he asked. Benny had to think back but nodded. "Yes of course. I remember Mia. She was the only girl I know who could put up with you" he joked.

Kelly smiled, "yeah well, as you know things with me and Mia didn't really end well. She left to Medical school in New York and she's back now. She came back with a daughter," he said letting the words really sink in. "My daughter" he added.

It took a minute, but Benny finally realized what his son just said. He had a granddaughter. Kelly was a father. He looked at him shocked. "Yeah, that's pretty much how I felt when I found out she is mine, but she's perfect. I am trying to be in her life and get to know her more, so I wanted to let you know about her. I don't want our tension to affect my little girl. Kate deserves to know her grandfather, so if you ever want to come visit her, you have my permission, just let me know first" he said with conviction. He didn't want his mistakes to come back and bite his daughter.

Benny's heart just swelled with pride. His son grew up to be a great man, and he could only imagine that he was a great father. It was only then did he realize that Kelly said her name was Kate.

"Kate as in…" he couldn't finish.

Kelly nodded, "yeah, Catherine Elizabeth" he replied confirming his dad's thoughts, "Mia named her after mom" he said.

Benny looked down and nodded, "your mother would be very proud of you Kelly. You have grown up to be a successful, responsible man. She would be thrilled to have a first grandchild, especially a granddaughter named after her. I know she is looking down at us right know and she is looking out for your family" he stated.

Kelly tried to keep his tears at bay. Talking about his mom was hard for him. She died right before he graduated from the academy. "She used to tell me that Mia and I would end up together all the time" he vented. She would always be on his case about treating Mia with respect and looking out for her needs.

Benny nodded with a little laugh, "you're mother had a knack of knowing those kinds of things" he replied.

Kelly pulled out a picture of Katie from his wallet and a turkey that she made and gave them to his dad. "This from the family day at the firehouse, she's a Severide through and through, so I thought you would want to have it," he gave him the picture. It was of Kelly and Katie standing in front of the Squad 3 rig with her in Kelly's turnouts.

Benny couldn't help but laugh, "she looks just like you" he observed. "Acts like me too" Kelly added, before handing him the paper turkey. "She made this for everyone at the firehouse today, I know she would want you to have one" he said.

"Thank you son. For telling me and letting me be part of her life" he was truly grateful. He didn't want to miss out on his grandchild's life. Not when he abandoned her father and her grandmother. He knew it was something that Catherine would want him to do.

"On one condition" Kelly countered. He didn't want to be a hard ass, but he also knew his dad and the way he acted. He didn't want his daughter to get hurt. "Once you are in her life, you are in it. There will be no disappearing when the going gets tough. I don't want her hurt dad" he said.

Benny nodded in understanding; he could see where Kelly is coming from. "Does that go for your sister too? Does she know you are here?" he asked about Nina.

"No, Nina has no idea that I am here. She may pretend that she doesn't care that you left, but she's my little sister and I know otherwise. She was really hurt when you left dad. She's good though. She's an OR nurse at the hospital. She's getting real serious with a guy on my Squad. She's living a good life. It'll be harder to get her to forgive you than for you to be in Katie's life, that's for sure, but if you really care, you'll try" he explained.

Kelly didn't want to sound harsh, but he felt like he had to. As Nina's big brother and Katie's dad, he felt he had the responsibility to make sure they didn't get hurt.

"Thank you Kelly. I really appreciate this. I just might stop by" he replied.

"Good. I gotta get going. Katie's waiting for me to tuck her in" he said before getting up. Benny surprised them both by pulling his son into a hug. "It was good to see you Kelly" he said. Severide just nodded, "you too dad" he replied before turning to leave.

Beth was in the kitchen trying to busy her-self with housework. She was really curious as to what the two Severide men were talking about. She wanted to make sure everything was okay. The last time they were together, things ended badly and she never thought she would see Kelly again, let alone have him come to the house.

She looked up when the back door closed. "Bye Beth, it was good to see you" Kelly said. She smiled, "Good to see you too. Can I offer you anything for the road? A sandwich or some water?" she asked. He smiled and shook his head, "no thanks, we had a big dinner at the firehouse" he replied. With one more look to his dad, who just nodded in thanks, he turned to leave, "Happy Thanksgiving" he said before walking out the door.

Both Benny and Beth watched as he got into his car and drove off. "What was that about?" she asked her husband. Benny handed her the picture, "I have a chance of getting my son back" he replied.

By the time that Kelly got back to Chicago and to Mia's penthouse, Katie was fast asleep. She tried to stay awake the whole time. She wanted to wait for her dad. When Mia got home, she got Katie into her pajamas and started to clean the kitchen while Katie went to her playroom.

She had a few toys and books in there, so she kept herself occupied. Once Mia was done with the housework for the night, she walked into the playroom and leaned against the wall. "Ready for bed princess?" Mia asked.

"No mama, can I please wait for dad to come? He said he would read me a story" she begged. Mia sighed and looked at her watch. It was getting late and she really didn't know when Kelly would get there. "How about we have some milk and watch a movie while we wait for your dad" she said as she picked up her daughter.

She carried her into the kitchen, grabbed her sippy cup of milk and walked over to the couch. She laid on the couch with Katie in her lap drinking her sippy cup, while watching _Cinderella. _Mia laid her feet on the coffee table and stretched out so she could hold Katie and let her lay out on top of her.

About half way through the movie, with Mia running her fingers through Katie's hair, she fell asleep. Mia smiled down at her daughter. She tried so hard to stay awake and wait for her dad, but she couldn't hold it back anymore.

Mia carried her up to her room and got her settled in bed with her favorite stuffed monkey that Kelly got her from the firehouse open house. They had a carnival in the summer and Kelly won her a stuffed monkey from one of the games. She loved that thing.

Mia changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. She went back downstairs, grabbed her glasses and her bag. She had a few charts to go over before she started to make the desserts for dinner at her dad's. She finished her charting and dug out her recipe she printed out at work for a new apple spice pie she wanted to try.

She walked into kitchen, put the TV on low and got to work. It didn't take her as long as she thought as it would. She had the filling in the oven and was working on the topping when she heard the knock at the door. She looked at the clock before realizing it was probably Kelly.

She opened the door and looked on with concern at the look on his face. Kelly looked visibly exhausted. She led him and sat him on the couch. She wiped her hands on her apron before taking it off. "Kelly, what's wrong?" she asked. She could tell there was something wrong right away.

"Is Katie sleeping?" he asked.

Mia was really worried. He seemed really disoriented. "Yeah, I just put her down a few minutes ago" she informed. He nodded, "I told my dad about her" he informed. Now Mia knew what was wrong. She knew that Kelly's relationship with Benny was anything but good or stable.

"Kelly, you drove all the way out to Kenosha to tell your dad about Katie? Why? What happened Kelly? Come on, talk to me" she tried to calm him down. He was shaking. She ran into the kitchen and poured a bowl of water and ice. She grabbed a wash cloth and ran back to the couch. She put the bowl on the table and squeezed the wash cloth before patting Kelly's face.

"My dad was really excited about having a granddaughter, especially when I told him we named her after mom, he freaked. He wants to be in her life. I told him he could be in her life. I don't want her to miss out on having a grandfather because of my mistake. I hope that's okay" he asked.

Mia cupped his face and tried to get him to focus on her. "That's fine Kelly. Please just tell me what's bothering you. If everything went okay with Benny, then tell me what's going on?" she begged.

She sat on the couch and pulled him so he could lay on her chest and wrapped her arms around him. "When we were on the call this morning, we pulled up to a car accident. This guy, this dad was waving us down. Clarke and I were the first to get to him. His son was in the water. He got launched out of the car. We got geared up and dove into the water. It took me 10 minutes to find him. When we got him out of the water, I got him to Dawson and Shay as fast as possible" he cried.

Mia just wrapped her arms around him tighter. He buried his head in her shoulder and just wrapped up in her. "It's okay Kelly" she tried to comfort him. "I tried to save him Mia. I promise I tried to save him but it was too late. He was already dead when we pulled him out of the water. Then we got back to the house and I saw Katie, it just hit me all. I missed the first six years of her life. I couldn't deal with it if something would have happened and I didn't even know her. That's why I told my dad about Katie. She deserves to know her grandfather" he exclaimed.

"Okay, Kelly. It's all going to be okay. That little boy's death was not your fault. I don't want you blaming yourself. You did everything you could for him" she said. "I am so sorry for not being there for you and Katie when she was younger. I promise to be there for her, whatever she wants. I just…I can't lose her again" he professed.

"It's okay Kelly. I promise that everything is going to be okay. Just try and rest okay" she did as she did with Katie and caressed his head. She just ran her fingers through his hair until she heard his breathing even out. He fell asleep and it sounded like it was the first time he had slept peacefully.

Mia leaned farther back on the couch so she could stretch out her legs. Kelly was asleep with his arm around her middle, sleeping sideways so his back was against the couch and his head in the crook of her shoulder. Mia kept her arms wrapped her arm around him and just held him as she rested her head on top of his.

The next morning, Kelly woke up first. He noticed that he was on the couch and he was sleeping on Mia. She still had her glasses on and her hair was in a bun. He felt her arms around him and smiled. He raised himself on his palms and leant forward to kiss the top of her nose.

She stirred and looked up to see Kelly. He could see the confusion in her eyes for a second before the events of the previous night came back to her. She looked up at Kelly and pulled up so she was sitting up a little. She leant back against the couch and sat across from him.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

He sat up and leant his head in his hands. He wiped a hand over his face and let out a big breath. "I'm sorry Mia. I just completely unloaded on you yesterday" he said. She crawled over and wrapped her arm around his arm sideways. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Kelly that is what I am here for. We are a family and this is why we are together. I want to be here for you. I want you to be able to come to me and talk to me about things and vice versa okay?" she asked.

He looked over and rested his head against hers. "Thanks Mia. I really needed to vent. I don't know why that call got to me. I mean I am a professional, I am supposed to stay unaffected and do my job, but I couldn't help but see Katie yesterday when we pulled that kid out of the water. It was just horrifying to see that dad fighting for his son's life" he cried.

Mia wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "Kelly, we are not going anywhere. I promise you that Katie is okay. She is always going to be there for you and I know that you are always going to be there for her. She is always going to have you there for her. I know you are always going to be there for her. That is not going to change" she said.

"I know. It just hit me really hard" he replied.

"Kelly, I know it hit you hard. I am not surprised that it hit you. You are a nice, kind gentleman. You are a father. Seeing that little boy's life drain out of him and that father fighting for his son, I know you had to think of Katie, but I need you to remember that Katie is loved and there is no way she is going to end up like that little kid. I won't let her and neither will you. Just be there for her" she said.

As if on cue, Katie had woken up and made her way downstairs. She checked her mom's room first and didn't see anyone. After checking the guest room, she made her way downstairs. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she smile when she saw her dad.

"Hi mama, hi daddy" she greeted.

She walked over and stood in front of her dad. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. He kissed her cheek and just held her close. "Hey monkey, did you have a good night last night?" he asked her. Katie curled into her dad and rested her head on his shoulder. "I missed you yesterday daddy. Are you feeling better? Are you still sad?" she asked.

"No baby, I was sad because we had a really hard call yesterday. There was a little kid that got hurt and I was really scared that something would happen to you. It just hit me that I missed a big part of your life and I didn't really get a chance to be there for you but I want you to know that I will always be there for you" he said.

"I love you daddy. I know that you are going to be there for me. Are we going to have breakfast mama?" she asked. Mia smiled and nodded, "yeah baby, I am going to make something light because we are going to eat lunch at grandpa's house" she said. Katie nodded and looked at her dad, "are you staying daddy?" Katie asked. "Yeah baby, I am going to stay for breakfast and then we are going to get ready and head to your grandpa's house" he informed her.

"Why don't you and your dad go play with your toys while I make breakfast" Mia suggested. Katie nodded and took her dad's hand. She led him into the playroom. There was a big box sitting in the corner. Mia left them to take care of breakfast so they just had their own time in the playroom.

When they got to the playroom, Katie pulled out her toys out of her dresser and sat in the middle of the room on her puzzle rug and began to play with her toys. Kelly looked at his daughter sitting in the middle of the room, playing with three toys. She was perfectly content with playing with her three toys.

"Hey Monkey, what's that box?" Kelly asked. She looked up, "that's my race track from Uncle Johnny. He got me a race track and it is like a remote control. You can race two cars" she said. Kelly nodded and went to grab the box. He looked it over and read over the instructions for the building of the race track.

"Do you want me to help you set this up? We can build it before we got to your grandpa's house. Then when we get back from dinner, we can race on it" he said. She got really excited and nodded, "okay daddy, let's do it" she said.

Kelly opened the box and pulled out all the pieces of the track. There were two cars, one red and one blue. The pieces of the track and two remote controls. Kelly and Katie set up the track first. It was really long. They set up the track around the playroom. She had a toy firehouse, so they set up the track around the firehouse.

Once the track was set up, Kelly had to figure out the wires. Katie was pushing the cars around the track while Kelly was trying to figure out how to connect the wires to the cars and get them working automatically.

"Did you get it daddy?" she asked.

"Not quite kiddo" he replied.

"Well should we call Uncle Matt like last time?" she asked.

Kelly couldn't help but shake his head and laugh. She was being totally serious but it was in the way she said it. It sounded like something her mom would say. "You are so much like your mom it's not even funny" he teased as he leant over and kissed the top of her head.

"We can just play with them monkey. These wires are too complicated, so let's just pretend to play with these now. When we get back from Grandpa Danny's, I'll try and figure this out and then we can try and set it up" he said.

She nodded and crawled her way around the race track pushing one of the cars around. It was really cool. The track was all the way around her play firehouse. It had a pit stop area and a race crew. It had a grassy area and a watch tower for the road lights. There was two race cars at the starting line. It was a really cool track.

"This is a really cool track monkey" he said.

"Uncle Johnny brought it for me when we moved into our apartment. He said we can play it when he comes over. It has a police car, an ambulance and a fire truck. Just like the firehouse" she said really excited.

Kelly nodded and smiled, "I know, but we all know the fire truck is a Squad 3 rig and its better than the police car right?" he teased. She looked up at her dad and smiled, "yeah dad" she replied. Kelly nodded in agreement and got down to play with his daughter.

Mia had finished making some eggs and bacon and set up the table. She made a fruit bowl and put it all on the island in the kitchen. She put three dishes down at the stools and expected them to come running like Katie always does when Mia has breakfast on the table, but nothing happened.

She walked around her house trying to find them and heard them in the playroom. She silently walked over and leant against the wall and watched as they raced against each other. Kelly was going behind her on the race track and letting her win.

Mia couldn't help but smile. She enjoyed watching them have such a fun time. After another minute, Katie's car crossed the finish line and she pumped her fists up, "I WON DADDY" she squealed. Kelly sat back on his knees looking sad. "I can't believe you beat me" he said.

Mia cleared her throat and made her way into the room. "Mama, I beat daddy in racing" she was really excited. "Wow, good job princess. Come on now, I have breakfast waiting for us" she said. They all made their way to the kitchen. Katie took her seat on the island next to her dad. They had breakfast together and then Mia sent Katie to go and get ready.

She wanted to pack a bag with her toys and some stuff to keep her occupied, even though she had everything at her grandparents' house already. She ran to her room and grabbed her bag to fill up. Kelly was up in Mia's room with Mia trying to figure out what to wear.

Mia had changed into a beige dress with a brown waist belt, brown boots, a brown cardigan, and brown tights. She had on her gold locket, some hoop earrings, and some gold bracelets and a watch. She ran out of the bathroom into her room to see Kelly standing there in his dark jeans. "Mia what am I supposed to wear?" he asked.

Mia walked over, threw her tights and boots on the bed and started to go through his bag. "Shay packed me some clothes" he replied. She nodded and started looking through the shirts. She pulled out a brown button up with a white shirt underneath it. "These are good. Can you go and get Katie ready?" she asked.

He took the shirts and grabbed his watch, "yeah, are you ready?" he asked as he put on his shirt. She stood in front of him in the mirror and put on her make-up. "Yeah, I just have to fix my hair and finish my make-up. The food is in the kitchen in the fridge, and I have to make sure Katie is ready to go. Make sure her bag is packed and she has a pair of pajamas for later" she said.

Kelly nodded and laughed a little. She was running around like a chicken with her head cut off. "Mia, I got this. I'll go make sure Katie has her stuff together and her bag packed. You just focus on getting ready. Don't worry about her, just do what you need to do and we'll meet you downstairs" he said as he put on his watch.

Mia nodded and ran into the bathroom. Katie was in her room, already dressed playing with her dolls. Kelly walked in and smiled at his daughter. He came in and sat on the bed next to her. "Hey kiddo, are you ready for grandpa's?" he asked. She smiled up at her dad and nodded. "Yeah, I put on the outfit mommy picked out for me. I packed some books, some toys and mommy's pajamas she packed for me" she said. Kelly nodded and smiled at her. "Good job monkey. You did really well. I love the outfit" he said.

Katie was wearing a tan skirt, brown tights, brown boots and a brown long sleeve shirt. "Can you do my hair daddy?" she asked. Kelly smiled and nodded, "sure baby. What are we doing, pig tails, braid or what?" he replied. She thought about it and made her way into his lap. "Um, how about a braid. That way I can wear my new headband" she said excited.

Kelly shrugged and turned her in his lap so she was facing the mirror and he was behind her. He reached over and grabbed some hair ties from her dresser. "Hold these monkey" he handed them to her. He was becoming really good about doing her hair. He was becoming a pro. Once he braided her hair, he tied off the bottom. She reached on her dresser and grabbed her head band. She wrapped it around her head.

Mia had finished her make-up and left her hair down in a curl. She pinned her hair on the side and finished it off with some perfume and grabbed her purse. "Kelly, can you pull out the dessert from the fridge and put them in the cooler?" she yelled out. She ran around the room grabbing her pumps and was slipping them on as she made her way downstairs.

When she got downstairs, she saw Katie sitting on the island in the kitchen coloring, while Kelly was putting the containers of desserts in the cooler. "Mommy, are you okay?" Katie asked. She looked at Mia when she came down the stairs. She looked kind of stressed and crazy. Mia sat down next to her daughter and put on her shoes and earrings.

"Yeah baby, I'm fine. Are you ready? Are we ready to go?" she asked looking between Kelly and Katie. "We are ready mom" she replied. Mia nodded and dressed her daughter in her coat and helped her put her hat and gloves on. Kelly carried the cooler and Katie's bag. Mia put her coat on and grabbed Katie's hand. They made their way out and into Kelly's car.

It only took 20 minutes to get to her dad's house. When they got there, Kelly parked in the front of the house on the street. He helped Katie out and carried her in his arms. Mia grabbed her bag and the cooler from the backseat.

They made their way up the driveway and into the house. "Hello, dad, we're here" Mia called as Kelly put Katie down and helped her take off her coat. Once she took everything off, he picked her up and carried her into the house following Mia into the living room.

Everyone was gathered around. Johnny was standing with Angela against the wall, Tommy was on the couch with Joe, their brother-in-law watching football. Kids were running around. Briana was in the kitchen with Chief De Luca. Aunts and Uncles were scattered through the house. Everyone had a drink and looked like they were enjoying themselves.

"Hi Everyone, Happy Thanksgiving" Mia greeted as she took off her coat. Danny came out and gave his daughter a hug before moving to his granddaughter and Kelly. "Chief, Happy Thanksgiving" Kelly greeted.

"Nice of you to join us" the chief teased.

"Uncle Johnny! Angie" Katie called. She took off and ran to her uncle who grabbed her in a hug. "Hi princess, did you have a good thanksgiving at the firehouse?" he asked. She kept her arms around his neck and nodded, "we had a lot of fun" she replied before moving to Angie.

"Hi kiddo, you look very pretty today" Angie observed. "Thanks Angie, mommy picked out my outfit. Daddy did my hair and I put my new headband from Uncle Johnny" she was excited. "Well, your daddy did great on your hair. Good job Kelly, it looks great. As for the headband, your Uncle Johnny did well" she teased.

"Hey, I have good taste" he nudged her.

Katie ran into the room and started playing with her cousins. "Mia, please tell me that this is not Kelly Severide standing here" her Uncle David said. Mia let out a stressed breath and looked at her siblings for help. Briana took the food from Mia and looked on in sympathy. Johnny and Tommy took notice of the argument and stood by ready to defend their sister.

"Uncle Dave, he is Katie's father and it's the holiday. Can we not get into this please?" Mia asked. She really didn't want to get into this in front of everyone, especially Katie.

"Are we forgetting that he ruined your life and left you to deal with your pregnancy alone" he argued. "My poor Mia, I remember you calling home crying because you couldn't deal with your pregnancy and your schooling in medical school. Did you forget about that Mia?" her cousin Cathy added.

Mia stood in the middle of the room in front of Kelly and in between her uncle and cousin and Kelly.

"Cathy this has nothing to do with you. Uncle Dave, I am sorry, I really don't mean to be rude, but this is no one's business but me and Kelly. Yes, when we were young and naïve, we had a tough time getting into our own and dealing with our lives. Yes, I had a rough time being pregnant in medical school, but I made it. If I really wanted help, I would have told Kelly I was pregnant. We both made mistakes, but he is Katie's father. He has a right to be in her life and it is my decision if I want him here and in our lives. He has been there for me and for Katie since we got back into his life. He is a good father and a good friend to me and he has a right to be here peacefully and enjoy the holidays with his family. If you don't like him or like that he's here, then there's the door. You are more than welcome to leave" she said.

"Everything okay mama?" Katie asked.

Mia smiled down at her daughter and kneeled down to her level. "Yeah baby, what's up?" she asked. "Can I have my backpack now? I want to show Nick, Joey, Audri and Lucia my new toys from daddy" she said. "Yeah baby" Mia reached into the closet and grabbed her backpack.

"Go play monkey" Kelly led her out of the room. He didn't want her to hear this argument. Once she was far enough away, he turned back to the dining room and came to stand next to Mia. He put his hand on the small of her back and she turned to face him with his hand still on her waist. "Mia, don't start a fight with your family. I'll just go" he said.

"Yeah, that's right. It's all your good for anyway" Uncle Dave added.

Mia turned back to her family with tears in her eyes. Both Tommy and Johnny stood up and came to their sister's defense. "GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS HOUSE! You have no right to talk to my sister like that in my parents' home. Kelly, I'm sure didn't even want to come today because he knew it would start something. He is here for Mia and for his daughter. You are way out of line, now GET OUT, before I throw you out" Johnny threatened.

Dave looked at his nephew in disgust. "How dare you talk to me that way? Your parents raised you better than that" he argued.

"Uncle Dave, our parents raised us to stand up for one another and be there for each other. They raised us to stand up for what we believe in and stand up for what is right. Kelly is and always has been a part of this family. He deserves to be here just as much as the rest of us. If you can't respect that, then you need to leave" Tommy added.

Between Johnny and Tommy, Dave knew he wasn't getting anywhere, so he just picked up and left. Mia broke down once he was gone. She literally turned and sobbed in Kelly's arms. He just stood in the living room holding her and rocking her until she calmed down. Her siblings left her to give them some space.

"I am so sorry Kelly. I had no idea he was going to be like that" she apologized on behalf of her crazy uncle. Severide laughed it off, "It's not your fault Mia. It's not like what he said wasn't true. I left you to deal with everything on your own. Yeah we made mistakes, but he didn't give you enough credit. You went through medical school and becoming a doctor, all the while raising our little girl into the perfect little princess she is now. It's because of you that we are a family and you have let me be a part of her life. That takes guts and strength that only you have to be open with me again. Don't let what your uncle said get you down" he comforted by wiping her tears.

She smiled up at him and took a calming breath. She leaned up on her tip toes and cupped his face. She lightly touched her lips to his in a feathery kiss. "Thank you for being you" she said. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her one more time before pulling away. "You are welcome. Now come on, I'm hungry and let's not let your uncle ruin our daughters' favorite holiday" he teased.

She laughed and led him into the kitchen where everyone was gathered waiting. They were anxious to see what was going to happen between the two. No one had expected Dave to explode like that. Once Mia and Kelly made their way into the kitchen, Chief De Luca was the first to come up to them.

"You okay baby girl?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded, "I'm okay dad" she reassured. She had a tougher backbone than that.

He nodded and turned to Kelly. True he had his grievances with the man, but he wasn't stupid. He saw the look in his daughter's eyes when she talked about the lieutenant, or their family. He noticed the way she would light up when he walked into the room or was mentioned in conversation. He knew that they belonged together. He would put aside his differences if the lieutenant made his daughter and granddaughter happy. That was all he could ask for.

"I am sorry for that Severide. It was unexpected and uncalled for" he apologized for his brother-in-law. Kelly just waved it off, "it is okay chief. Really, it's not anyone's fault. I was expecting the third degree tonight and was ready for it. I just hope that I didn't cause any problems with your family. That's not my intention by coming here. In all honesty, I only came because Katie guiled me into it" he replied.

Chief De Luca nodded, "no you didn't cause any problems. Dave was Catherine's brother. I couldn't stand him from the get-go. It takes a real man to stand there and take it like that. And on top of it all, you were ready to defend my daughters honor and walk out to avoid more conflict. That shows true character" the chief added.

Kelly nodded in gratitude. That really meant a lot from him coming from Chief De Luca. "Thank you sir" he replied.

The chief just left it at that and got dinner served. With Dave and Cathy gone, dinner was a lot more enjoyable. Katie was able to tell everyone about her time with her dad and her new found family at Firehouse 51. Everyone could see the light in Severide's eyes whenever she talked about their time together. He was really proud of her and happy to be given a chance back into her life.

After dinner, the kids were sent to play, while the women were in the kitchen getting the dessert ready. Kelly made his way over to where Mia was fretting over her pie that she brought. She made it the night before, but insisted that it tastes better warm, so she put it in the oven to warm up.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked checking up on her. She smiled at him from her side of the counter and nodded, "yeah I'm good. It helps that they left and I have something else to distract me" she replied as she continued to peel the apples.

"What are you doing? I thought you finished this last night?" Kelly asked.

She had a whole bowl of different color/size apple peels. She had spices all over the counter with spatulas and different dispensers. She had her "I LOVE A FIREFIGHTER" apron on and looked ready to work.

"I finished the main part last night. I baked the pie and everything, but this is the best part. Decorating. I want it to look pretty, so I usually decorate with the remaining apple peels, sometimes some powdered cinnamon or nutmeg" she added.

Kelly looked at her confused. "Why? We are just going to eat it anyway" he observed. She glared, "because it makes the whole package. You wouldn't just walk into the grocery store and buy a pie or cake with nothing on it. It's all about how it looks" she informed.

Kelly came up next to her and took an apple from her pile. "I still don't get it. We are going to eat it. The pie is still going to end up in the same place whether it was decorated or not" he commented as he stole some of her apple peels and popped them into his mouth.

"Hey, I am using those. Stop eating my decorations" she nudged him out of the way, not that he went very far, "and let's please refrain from talking about bowels and food digestion until after we eat" she added.

Kelly smirked and decided to tease her a little. He knew he agreed to be just friends, but he couldn't help himself. He was never going to be just friends with Mia. They couldn't. They have been through too much with each other.

He caged her in from behind and leant forward, until his lips were at her ear. She froze with the spatula in her hand and an apple in the other. He was close enough to graze her ear as he spoke. "It's such a tease when you use big words like that. I would refrain from sounding so smart, otherwise, I think the truce I just made with your father will fly out the window when I throw you down and have you writhing all over this table" he grazed and nipped at her ear.

Mia's eyes flew closed and her skin blushed. She couldn't help her breathing increase and her heart start to race. He was so close to her pulse point. The tension was becoming unbearable. She wanted to just turn around and lunge at him.

Johnny, Angela, Tommy, Briana, Joe and Chief De Luca were secretly watching the pair from the living room. They saw the way that Mia reacted to Kelly. It was obvious that he made her happy.

"Damn, that was intense" Joe commented.

"It's always been like that between those two" Tommy added.

"We need a plan to push them together" Briana suggested. Angela nodded in agreement, "I would totally be down for helping with that. Mia does so much for everyone else, that she deserves to be happy. It's obvious that Kelly makes her happy. I'll check in with Shay and Dawson from the firehouse to help too" she agreed whole heartedly.

"He better make her happy or he knows we'll kick his ass" Johnny stated.

"Don't worry son, between your sister and your niece, that boy has his hands full already" Chief De Luca observed.

"Mommy is the pie ready?" Katie came into the kitchen, oblivious to the scheming adults and the precarious situation her parents were in. Mia pulled away from Kelly and went to pick up her daughter. She needed the space to think.

"Yeah baby. We can officially end Thanksgiving with pie" Mia announced as Kelly pulled it out of the oven and put it on the table.

That was the end of that. They all sat around the kitchen table sharing in a wonderfully decorated pie and some coffee. The perfect end to a hectic Thanksgiving day at the Severide/De Luca household.

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**Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! **

**Thanks for reading, please reivew!**


	11. Chapter 11- Happy Holidays

**Hey everyone, thanks so much for all the reviews, favorites, follows and reads. I really appreciate it.**

**Hope your new year is going well. Like I said before, I have been having some health issues and it's taken a lot out of me. I am going to try to update as much as possible. **

**Please review and let me know how you feel about my story.**

**There is going to be a little time jump and more Severide drama! **

**Please enjoy!**

**WARNING: M-RATING THIS CHAPTER! **

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_**Previously…**_

He caged her in from behind and leant forward, until his lips were at her ear. She froze with the spatula in her hand and an apple in the other. He was close enough to graze her ear as he spoke. "It's such a tease when you use big words like that. I would refrain from sounding so smart, otherwise, I think the truce I just made with your father will fly out the window when I throw you down and have you writhing all over this table" he grazed and nipped at her ear.

Mia's eyes flew closed and her skin blushed. She couldn't help her breathing increase and her heart start to race. He was so close to her pulse point. The tension was becoming unbearable. She wanted to just turn around and lunge at him.

Johnny, Angela, Tommy, Briana, Joe and Chief De Luca were secretly watching the pair from the living room. They saw the way that Mia reacted to Kelly. It was obvious that he made her happy.

"Damn, that was intense" Joe commented.

"It's always been like that between those two" Tommy added.

"We need a plan to push them together" Briana suggested. Angela nodded in agreement, "I would totally be down for helping with that. Mia does so much for everyone else, that she deserves to be happy. It's obvious that Kelly makes her happy. I'll check in with Shay and Dawson from the firehouse to help too" she agreed whole heartedly.

"He better make her happy or he knows we'll kick his ass" Johnny stated.

"Don't worry son, between your sister and your niece, that boy has his hands full already" Chief De Luca observed.

"Mommy is the pie ready?" Katie came into the kitchen, oblivious to the scheming adults and the precarious situation her parents were in. Mia pulled away from Kelly and went to pick up her daughter. She needed the space to think.

"Yeah baby. We can officially end Thanksgiving with pie" Mia announced as Kelly pulled it out of the oven and put it on the table.

That was the end of that. They all sat around the kitchen table sharing in a wonderfully decorated pie and some coffee. The perfect end to a hectic Thanksgiving day at the Severide/De Luca household.

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**Chapter 11- Happy Holidays**

**With credit to: **redhead414

It was freezing outside in the beginning of December in Chicago. It was a very busy year for the Severide/De Luca family. They had a lot going on. Matt and Gabby became officially a couple; Hermann was getting a vasectomy for his wife's gift for his wedding anniversary; Katie's birthday was in the second week of the month and Mia was hosting Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, since the guys were working on Christmas Day.

Mia was just getting off work and made her way home. It was so cold, Mia ran up her driveway and walked into the townhouse. "Hey James" she greeted her door man. "Hi there Dr. De Luca, how are you doing this evening?" he asked.

She smiled at him, "I'm good, trying to stay warm. You have a good night James. Say hi to Mrs. Carmichael for me" she greeted before she walked into the elevator and made her way into her apartment.

She walked in expecting to see Elena watching Katie like she always does after school. She walked in rubbing her arms, trying to keep warmth. "Lena, Katie, I'm home" she called as she took off her coat. She took off her duffle bag and left it by the closet door like always.

Mia heard little feet pounding in her direction. She looked up to see all her nieces and nephews coming toward her with her daughter leading the pack.

"Hi mama"

"Hi Aunt Mia"

She heard from all of them as they launched at her legs. Mia smiled and bent down to hug them all. "Hello my little angels, and what are you all doing here?" she asked. "Everyone thought you would need some help planning and getting the house decorated, so they are going to come over later. Besides, when I picked up Katie from your dad's all the kids were over. They wanted to come over and play with Katie" Kelly said as he stood back by the kitchen with their snack on the island.

Mia nodded in understanding. "Okay kids, your snack is ready. Why don't you take it and have it in the playroom. I set up Katie's firefighter table" he said. They each took a bowl of pretzels/goldfish, some carrots with ranch and grapes. They grabbed a plate and took off.

Mia took off her scarf and looked at Kelly amused. "They wanted to play?" she teased. Kelly stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "I couldn't say no. They looked at me with those big wide eyes and asked me if they could come play with Katie" he informed.

Mia smiled and made her way in. She walked over and nudged him, "pushover" she teased. She walked into the kitchen and tied her hair up in a messy bun. Kelly kept his gaze at her hip where her tattoo was when her shirt rode up.

She made her way into the kitchen to start and clean up when she looked up and noticed his gaze. She froze and blushed. He traveled the length of her with his eyes until they met gazes. Mia smiled and went back to cleaning.

"So, I uh have some plans for Katie's birthday. She wants it to be all firefighting related, so we have to go to the dollar store or the party center and get some balloons, and stuff. It's going to be interesting trying to mix firefighting with Disney Princesses" she laughed as she put away the dishes.

Kelly knew she was trying to change the subject, but he couldn't. He wanted answers. In all honesty, Mia knew he deserved answers. She was just afraid that if she opened her heart again, she would get burned.

"Why do you still have it?" he asked referring to her tattoo.

Mia froze and let out a breath before turning to face him. "Do you?" she replied avoiding his question. He unbuttoned his shirt and moved his sleeve over his shoulder. He turned around and showed her his tattoo. She walked over and traced his tattoo.

She let her eyes close and leant her forehead against his shoulder. "Elena asked me the same question" she said walking and sitting on the stool in the kitchen.

"She came up to visit me in New York. She went with Robin and I to a tattoo artist to get it removed. They dared me to do it. Told me that you moved on. That you were sleeping with all of Chicago. That you didn't care about me anymore. They told me to get my tattoo removed and forget about you" she had tears in her eyes.

Kelly walked over to her and stood in front of her. He didn't want to touch her yet. He wanted to give her some space. "I couldn't do it," she cried. "I walked into the tattoo shop. I was laying on the table and all I could think about was when we got my tattoo from Ricky" she had tears streaming down her face.

Kelly sat down in front of her and wiped her tears. "Mia, there are no words to express how sorry I am" he started. Mia shook her head, "Kelly, in all honesty, I kept the tattoo because I couldn't get rid of you. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get rid of you. You were always in my head, in my heart. There's nothing that's going to change that" she said.

"Mia, every time I see that tattoo on my shoulder, I know you are always with me. Mia you said you couldn't get rid of me and the same goes for me. You were always in my head. I couldn't get you out of my mind. The way I messed us up. I almost think I kept it as a reminder of my mistakes. Of the life I could have had" he added.

Mia looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry Kelly" she apologized. He shook his head and cupped her face. He wiped her tears and leant his forehead against hers. "You have nothing to apologize for. Just know that I love you and I will always love you" he said as he closed the gap between them.

Their lips met and Mia saw stars explode before her eyes. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arm around his neck, deepening the kiss. Kelly froze for a second with shock, before following her lead. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her to sit on the counter.

He walked in between her legs and smiled when she pulled him closer, wrapping her legs around his waist. His hand flew into her hair, while the other splayed on her lower back, trying to get her as close as possible.

Mia was in heaven. She was beyond into the kiss. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, holding him to her. She was afraid to let him go. She opened her mouth to deepen the kiss and let her tongue battle with his, graciously relinquishing control to Kelly. She couldn't help but moan as his tongue met hers. She let her hands wander from his neck to the tattoo on his shoulder. She traced the tattoo on the back of his shoulder and smiled when he groaned.

Not wanting to be under done, Kelly followed her lead and let his hands wander down her stomach to the waist band of her jeans. She moaned and couldn't help but involuntarily thrust her hips into his hand. He smiled and continued to unbutton her jeans. He unzipped her zipper as slowly as possible. He wanted to tease her.

Mia put her hands on his shoulders for support and lifted her hips a little so he could push her jeans down a little. Kelly moved his kisses down her jaw line, nuzzling her neck as he traced the pattern of her tattoo. She moaned and lolled her head against his shoulder as he continued to trace her lower hip. She groaned and tried to push forward to get his fingers to move to where she really wants them too.

"Kelly" she moaned.

It brought Kelly back into reality. Mia caught herself and pulled away to catch Kelly's gaze. They just stared at each other trying to catch their breath. "Mia, we can't do this" he said. She nodded, "I know Kelly. I know. We can't do this with the kids in the house" she said as she pulled away and re-did her jeans.

She walked into the kitchen and got to work on some dinner. Kelly just standing there fazed. He tried to comprehend what just happened. He was so close to her. This was the closet he's gotten since she came back from New York. He watched her jump off the counter and listened to what she said.

'_We can't do this with the kids in the house' _replayed in his head.

He just stared at her and couldn't believe what she said. It was still registering in his head. He fixed himself and got himself together before walking around the counter over to her. "Are you serious Mia?" he asked.

"Kelly, you have been through so much with us. I have put you through the ringer and I know it. Let's just say that your present this Christmas won't be one you can open in front of your daughter" she said before leaving him to his imagination as she started dinner.

Kelly couldn't help but smirk and went to watch some TV. Mia put her apron on and set up dinner. She made some Italian wedding soup with some homemade garlic bread and salad. She wanted to make some strawberry cheesecake for dessert.

While she was making dinner, she had a plan set. She had lists and a whole little binder dedicated to everything related to Katie's birthday. She wanted it to be firefighting and princess themed, so Mia had to figure out how everything would match.

The guys from the firehouse, Nina, Grace and George all gathered at Mia's townhouse. The first thing everyone went to was the food. Mia set up the island full of everything. The soup, the salad, the garlic bread and some other appetizers. The whole island was full of food and different kinds of sodas, juice and drinks.

"Damn Mia, this is delicious" Cruz stated.

Mia smiled from the kitchen. She was standing by the counter eating some soup and salad. "I'm glad you like it guys. It's a family recipe" she informed.

"It's no wonder Severide has been lagging a little with all this food being thrown at him" Hermann teased.

"Shut up Hermann!" Severide defended himself.

After dinner, everyone gathered around the living room to watch the Chicago Bears game. On the living room table, she had chips, dip, croissants, veggies and a bunch of other appetizers for them to munch on. Katie was sitting next to her dad on the couch in her Chicago Bears jersey watching the game with him. It was really cute, everyone was enjoying themselves.

"What do you think Katie, do you think they are going to win?" Johnny asked his niece.

"I don't know Uncle Johnny. I think they need to let Jay Cutler run the ball some more. He's the quarterback. They need to trust him more" she informed.

Everyone looked at her shocked before looking at Mia for an explanation. The girls were in the kitchen, helping her clean up and set up some fruit and desserts for everyone.

"What can I say, whenever we would watch TV, the only thing she liked to watched was football. She said it gave her something to talk to Johnny about. He would tease her enough about it. She decided to look it up and research it" she explained.

The guys couldn't help but laugh. Johnny clapped Katie's hand, "and that's how I got my little football princess" he teased. "Well, it is official," Matt started, "she may have Severide DNA but she definitely got her smarts from Mia" Casey teased. That got everyone laughing.

The girls were gathered in the kitchen going over plans for Mia's birthday party. They were all planning on helping her plan the party and set things up and decorate the house. Nina pulled out her notebook. She and Mia set up a checklist in the hospital.

They literally sat in Mia's office one day on their lunch break and started writing down everything they needed to plan this party. Mia wanted it to be a big one for her. Even though it was her 7th birthday and she was going into the second grade, Mia wanted to make it special. It was her first birthday with her dad.

"Okay, so Mia and I started planning this out. We wrote down everything we could think that we needed so we have the list here" she said as she put on her glasses and read it through.

"_Ice Cream; preferably chocolate and strawberry, or vanilla dyed blue/pink/purple for Disney theme; Firefighting/Disney Cake; Table cloths; Napkins; paper dishes/cups/silverware; party gift bags, some crowns/accessories for the kids gift bags; and balloons…." She rattled off._

"That should be the most of it. I went to the party center store the other day and picked up a bunch of stuff. I got some red/blue/pink/purple table clothes, some napkins with little crowns on them and some with fire trucks on them. I know Mia got the silverware, party bags, and some accessories for the gift bags" she stated.

"Yeah, Nina pretty much has this whole party under control. She's going at this like a Marine Corps General. It's like she's planning for war" Mia teased.

Nina just scoffed and laughed sarcastically at them, "you are all very funny. I just want this party to go perfectly for my little princess to be" she replied.

"Well, I still want to get some more firefighting stuff for the party. Maybe mix up the silverware and dishes and stuff with the princess stuff. Maybe get more decorations that mix the colors or something" Mia informed them.

They all nodded, "so now that we got that under control, when are we going to talk about the Firefighters Ball coming up for the New Year? It's literally on New Year's day this year" Dawson said. "I need to get a new dress" she said. Shay and Nina nodded in understanding, "me too" Nina replied. Mia just looked over at Kelly. He hasn't asked her to go yet, but I'm sure he's going too eventually. Knowing Kelly, he probably is just assuming she'll go with him.

Katie was really excited about her party. "Are you guys going to come to my birthday?" she asked everyone. She was really worried that no one would come and it would go back to being just her and her mom having a special girl's dinner.

Matt took Katie from Kelly's side and put her in his lap. "Katie, you have a big family. We are all your Aunts and Uncles. You better get a good night sleep the night before your party because we are all going to be there and we are all going to bring gifts and drive you crazy with hugs and kisses" he said.

"Really?" she asked looking around at everyone to make sure they were all going to come. They all smiled at the little girl, "you couldn't get rid of us if you tried kiddo" Cruz said. She smiled and cuddled into her Uncle Matt.

**NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN**

_**1 week later – Night before party**_

The night before the party, Kelly wanted to stay at Mia's. He roped everyone into coming to the house earlier to help set up for the party. He wanted to contribute, he didn't want Mia to do everything on her own.

Mia and the girls split up the inside duties. Half of the girls were cooking and getting the food together, while the other half were putting up balloons, streamers, tablecloths, napkins and setting up the inside decorations.

The guys were outside setting up the patio set, cleaning the grill, setting up the inflatable princess castle on one end of the yard, the swing set in the middle, and the firehouse inflatable on the other end. Each inflatable had a bouncy house and a slide. It was supposed to give the kids something to do and run around with. It was also insulated which helped!

Once everyone left and Kelly got Katie settled in bed, he stripped to his boxers and got into bed with Mia. She was passed out. She was tried from working and planning for the birthday and the Christmas dinner they were planning. She turned and went to curl into his side before realizing that he wasn't even there.

The space next to her was empty. She squinted and crawled around her bed until she could reach her dresser. She grabbed her phone and saw that it was 3am. They had only been asleep for 3 hours. She got up and checked her daughter's room first. Katie was fast asleep with her monkey, whose name is ironically fifty one. She smiled and walked in to pull the blanket up to her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

She heard noises from downstairs, so she slowly made her way down. She saw Kelly sitting on the couch with the helium machine, blowing up red/pink/purple/blue balloons. Some firefighter ones, some princess ones.

She stood on the bottom step staring at him. It took Kelly a minute to notice her standing there. "What?" he asked as he blew up another princess balloon. Mia got the figures and the regular colors. "What are you doing up? It is 3 am Kelly" she said as she walked further into the room and stood in front of him.

"What?" he looked at the clock on the wall to realize it really was 3 am. "I just wanted to blow up more balloons. I wanted to get them ready for Katie. The whole house is decorated for the party. It's going to be great. I am so excited to see her take everything in. She's going to freak out" he said.

Mia smiled and sat down next to him. It was really cute how excited he was about her party. One could even say that he was probably more excited than Katie. Mia looked around the living room and knew there were more than enough balloons and decorations in the house and outside on the patio.

"Kelly, I think there are plenty of decorations around here" she said. The penthouse she was living in wasn't exactly large. It was big enough for her and Katie and had an extra bedroom. Every square foot of the house had something related to firefighting and princesses; it was like this birthday party was taking over her house.

"Really, are you sure because I want everything to be perfect for my little girl" he said. She smiled and sat next to him on the couch. "Kelly, I am more than sure. The whole place is covered in party stuff" she replied. He looked around unconvinced, "maybe just a few more balloons or something" he countered. He was really not letting this go.

"Kelly, I know what you are trying to do. I know that you want everything to be perfect for Katie but you are missing the main point of all this. Katie won't care about anything to do with decorations. She just wants to be sure that everyone is here for her. She just wants you here. She doesn't care about how many balloons there are around here. Besides, I need to be able to see my living room in the morning" she added.

He laughed and smiled up at her. "I know Mia. I promise I'm almost done. Just a few more princess ones to balance out the fire truck ones" he said. She just smirked at him for a minute before he realized what he said. "Did I really just say that?" he asked himself rhetorically.

Mia smiled and let out a little laugh. "It just shows how much you love your daughter. Trust me, it's a good thing. Now don't stay up to late please. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow" she said putting one hand on his shoulder for support as she leant over and tilted his chin up with the other hand so she could give him a little kiss.

"I'll be up in a little while" he said.

She nodded and made her way upstairs to the bedroom. She was still too tired to wait up for him, so she literally just collapsed on the bed and fell asleep. Kelly was too determined to make more balloons, with the exhaustion at the day, he just fell asleep on the couch.

The next morning, Mia woke up around 9 am. She looked over and noticed that the bed space beside her was still empty. She rolled onto her back and couldn't help but laugh. She got up, put on some sweats and a sweat shirt before making her way downstairs. She saw Kelly on the couch and sat on the couch next to him. She leaned over and peppered his face with kisses.

She started with his forehead, moved to kiss his eye lids, the tip of his nose, and the corners of his mouth. She smiled when he groaned and his eyes fluttered open. His arms came around her waist and held her close. She smiled and rested against his chest for support.

"Morning" he greeted with his eyes still closed.

She smiled and gave him little kisses. He wrapped his arms around her neck and cupped her head to bury his hand in her hair to deepen the kiss. She smiled against his lips and pulled away, smirking when his mouth followed her. "UH, UH; we can't do this right now. We have too much to get ready for" she said pulling him up.

He groaned and got up anyway. They had a quick cup of coffee, Mia whipped up some eggs and bacon real quick and they had a quick breakfast. Mia got everything ready on the tables and set up the kitchen. By the time 11/12 came around, Mia told Kelly to start the grill. Johnny and Tommy made their way over to her house after their morning shifts.

"Mia" Johnny called out as he walked in and threw his bag in the closet. "UNCLE JOHNNY!" Katie came screeching into the sitting room. Johnny picked her up and swung her up into his arms. Tommy leaned over and kissed the top of her head, "Happy Birthday Princess" they said. "Thanks Uncle Johnny, Uncle Tommy. Is Grandpa Danny going to come and Angie?" she asked. Tommy smirked at his brother, "yeah princess, they are going to come a little later" he said before putting her down and letting her go play.

She was dressed in a cute red/black jumper with black tights and red ugg boots. She had on crown earrings, and a black headband with a red flower on it. The house was beautifully decorated for the party and Christmas. It was great.

Mia ran down from upstairs in a towel. "Hey Kell, did you start the grill?" she asked. Johnny and Tommy laughed at their sister. "What is up with you?" Tommy laughed. "I am trying to plan a party. How was your shift? You okay?" she asked her brothers.

"We are fine. Don't worry about us. You go shower and get dressed. People are on their way over and you look like a drowned rat. We'll help Kelly with the barbeque" Johnny said as he led her to the stairs. "You sure you got this?" she asked looking on doubtingly.

"Don't worry Mia, the cavalry have arrived" Nina said as she walked in with Clarke, Casey, Gabby and Shay. "Great, the meat and everything is in the kitchen. I have the meat already marinated. All it needs to do is being put on skewers and on the grill" she informed.

"Don't worry, we got this under control. We'll wrangle in these guys. You go get dressed" Gabby said as she directed her to the stairs. Mia nodded and turned to run up the stairs. After a minute, she walked back down, "Katie, don't get your clothes dirty. Make sure you greet everyone at the door and thank them for coming" she yelled at her daughter.

The guys couldn't help but just laugh. "Seriously Mia" Johnny teased. Kelly put down the grill mat. "Don't worry guys, I got this" Kelly said as he walked over and picked her up around the waist, "Kelly!" she squealed as she held the towel down to cover everything. Kelly wrapped his arm around her waist and another around the back of her legs for support. He carried her all the way upstairs.

He deposited her in her room and stood behind her. "Thank you Lt. Severide, now you can exit so I can get dressed" she said with her hands on her hips. He laughed, "oh no. I had to get you up here and I expect a reward" he replied.

She smiled and nodded her head knowingly. "Really?" she teased. He nodded and came forward to wrap his arms around her waist. She kept pulling back teasingly. He followed her and met her lips in a kiss. It only took a minute for her to deepen the kiss. Kelly opened his mouth and let his tongue tangle with hers. His hands wandered down from her neck to the knot of her towel.

She put her hand on top of his and stopped his. "Kelly, we can't do this. I told you. Wait for Christmas and your Christmas gift. I promise that it'll be worth your while" she said. He let his head rest against her forehead and let out a frustrated breath.

"You are killing me here Mia" he said. She smiled and cupped his face kissing him a little. "I promise" she replied.

Downstairs, everyone watched Kelly carry Mia upstairs. "I give them a week" Johnny said before going with Clarke to start up the grill. By the time Mia was done getting dressed, more people were over and the food was close to done.

"Hey guys, the food is done and on the counter. Come get it while it's hot" Mia announced to everyone. They all scrambled into the kitchen, "with Mia's food. You don't have to tell me twice" Mills said as he pushed through the line.

Kelly came over and wrapped his arm around Mia's shoulders from behind. "Hey Mills, you better not mess up my kitchen. Mia's anal about cleanliness" he teased. She scoffed and nudged him with her elbow. He laughed and kissed her temple, "sorry babe" he rubbed it in.

Mia just stood there in Kelly's arms looking at everyone in her house. She watched her daughter being passed around, greeting everyone, playing with everyone and having the time of her life. She rested her head back against Kelly's shoulders. "Are you okay Mia?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded, "yeah, I'm just looking at our daughter. She looks so happy. She's happy because she has you here. All of you here" she said. He smiled against her neck, "and you? Are you happy?" he asked. She smiled up at him and kissed him, "very happy" she answered.

He tightened his hold on her, "good. Not to bring the mood down, but have you seen my dad?" he asked. It's been about 3 months since Kelly invited is dad back into his life and he has yet to show up. Mia could tell that Kelly was really disappointed about it. He set himself up for hurt again.

Mia turned around and caressed his cheeks. "No baby, I'm sorry" she said. Kelly shook his head, "it is okay. Forget it, I just thought I would give him a chance and he blew it" he replied. "I'm sorry Kelly, I need you to remember that we are always going to be here for you. We are never leaving again" she said.

"Okay guys, time for cake" Mia announced. Everyone gathered around the kitchen as Kelly put the cake in the middle of the table. It was a 3 tiered round cake. On the bottom tear it was all birthday like. On the second tier it was a firefighting theme and on the top tier, it was princess themed. On the top of the cake was a crown with a 51 engraved in it with a big pink glittery 6 on the top.

Mia pulled up a chair and Katie climbed up on it to stand on it. Kelly stood behind her and held her so she wouldn't fall. "Look at my cake daddy" she was really excited about it. "I'm glad you like it monkey. Only the best for my little girl" he replied.

"I got the lights" Nina said as Clarke stepped forward and lit the candles for her. "Thanks Uncle Jeff" she said. He kissed her temple, "you're welcome princess" he replied before going to stand next to Nina with his arms around her.

"Okay, let's sing" Mia said.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KATIE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" they all sang for her.

Katie leaned over with her mom and dad and blew out the candles. "YAY!" everyone cheered and clapped. Kelly helped his daughter down as Mia cut the cake and distributed it to everyone. It was cute because all the kids wanted certain sections of the cake.

"Aunt Mia I want a fire truck" joey stated.

"I want a crown" Lucia and Adrianna added.

"Fire truck for me Aunt Mia" Nick butted in.

Mia laughed and dished out the cake to the kids first since they were most excited for it. After that, she handed the adults their pieces.

Before he could reply, Katie came barging in the kitchen. "Mama, Daddy, can we open presents now?" she asked. Kelly smiled and leant forward to pick her up by the waist and held her close, "yeah baby, let's go" he said. She was laughing so hard, she was turning red. It was a really sweet moment. She was beyond happy.

Kelly walked into the living room and laughed. He has never seen so much pink in his life. It was everywhere. Mia walked over and sat down on the couch behind Kelly and Katie who sat on the floor. Katie sat in her dad's lap. She got up and grabbed a gift. "It is gift time everyone" she announced. They all gathered around.

Most of the guys from the firehouse got her a princess set, tea sets, dolls, fire trucks, puzzles and other toys for her to play with. Nina was really excited about her gift. "Okay kiddo, my gift goes with your Uncle Matt's gift" she said.

"That's my cue. Look kid, I know I got you the birthstone necklace for your birthday, but this gift is different. This one I made for you with the help from the guys from the firehouse" he said as he got up and walked out to get it.

Katie looked at her dad for some clues. "What is it daddy?" she asked. Kelly looked like a kid in a candy store and shrugged, "I don't know monkey. We just have to wait and find out" he replied. Katie huffed and looked at the door anxiously waiting for Matt.

He walked it carrying this big box and set it on the floor in the playroom. They all followed him to the playroom in curiosity. They really wanted to see what it was. Matt looked more excited than anyone. Once he set it down, he took Katie from Kelly and knelt down next to her on one knee and wrapped his arm around her with his free arm.

"Go ahead princess, have at it" he said. She looked at the gift, taking a minute to plan out her attack. "Go ahead Katie, open your gift" Mia said from the doorway. Katie looked back at her mom, "I am trying to figure out the best way to open the gift without making that big of a mess mama" she said. Johnny couldn't help but laugh, "and those are the De Luca genes everyone" he teased.

"No, those are Mia's genes" Chief De Luca stated.

Katie started out with a corner. She undid the tape and began to unwrap the gift. When she opened the paper enough to see inside, she got really excited. She started jumping up and down and squealing. It was gorgeous. "MAMA! IT'S A PRINCESS FIREHOUSE" she squealed. There were figures that looked like all the real people from the firehouse and princesses mixed it. It had the rigs, the fire trucks, the ambulance and even the chief's car. The house was divided up into floors and sections just like the real firehouse.

Mia gasped and walked over to really look at it. "OH MY GOD Matt!" Mia exclaimed as she bent down to look it over. "It's absolutely gorgeous" she stated. "My gifts are the clothes and some furniture and some accessories" Nina added just as excited.

Once everyone started to leave, Kelly plopped down on the couch with a cup of coffee watching his daughter and her cousins playing with Matt and Capp. Mia walked in with a tray of coffee, cream and sugar for anyone who wanted it. She grabbed a cup and sat next to Kelly on the couch.

The kids were rough housing and climbing all over Matt and Capp. "Hey, you guys leave Uncle Matt and Capp alone and go play with Katie's toys" she said as she corralled all the kids into the play room. The kids ran into the room and immediately found something to do in the room.

They grabbed Mia's toy tool box and started to build a castle. Katie was the contractor in charge of the design and all her cousins were the engineers. It was really cute how she took control of the situation and started calling out orders.

Brianna, Grace, Gabby and Shay started cleaning up around the house a little. They grabbed a garbage bag and emptied dishes, cups and used napkins. "You guys, just leave it. I am off from work tomorrow and I have all day to clean up while Kelly and you guys are on shift" she said.

Once the kids started getting tired, as it was getting later, they started falling asleep. Some on the couches, on the floor. Katie fell asleep on her dad's lap on the couch. Mia smiled as she saw Katie wrap her arms around her dad's middle to hold him close. She was resting in the crook of his neck fast asleep.

Kelly had his arm wrapped around her back. She wasn't surprised he was tired. He was up at the crack of dawn blowing balloons and acting life a crazed person. Katie was exhausted from her jam packed birthday filled fun. She was right in the middle of all the excitement. She loved being in the center of all the guys at the firehouse. She loved having a big family.

When Johnny and Tommy got there to help with the barbeque, Katie was beaming. While Tommy was barbequing with Johnny and Kelly, Clarke put her on his shoulders and ran around the yard with her. They were all bundled up in their coats and boots running around the yard, playing ball, making snowmen, snow angels and everything. They were having fun with each other.

It was even more exiting for her when Gabby, Nina, Grace and Shay came over. Gabby helped Mia make some last minute things and put some last minute details on the decorations around the house. Only Katie could break any awkwardness between Matt and Gabby. She was just so oblivious and innocent about everything.

Katie woke up from her nap and sat on her dad's lap. She shook his chest, "wake up dad" she said. He looked up at her with a big smile on his face. "What kiddo, I thought we were having a good nap. I guess you don't want to miss out on the rest of the party huh?" Kelly asked as he sat up on the couch. He put Katie on the floor and let her go play with her cousins.

Mia could tell they were tired, so she put them all on the pull out bed in the playroom and set up a movie for them to watch so they could relax a little and chill out. She walked back out to see Kelly half asleep on the couch and the girls cleaning up. She walked back into the room and let the guys sleep. She walked into the kitchen and started packing up the food in containers.

She set aside a plate for each of the guys. She knew they loved her cooking, so she made sure to give them each a doggie bag. The girls all gathered around the kitchen island and helped Mia put the food in the fridge.

"So, what are you wearing to the firefighter's ball?" Nina asked Mia.

Mia laughed a little bit. She pointed over to Kelly and shook her head. "I wasn't asked to the fire fighters ball, so I really don't know what I'll be wearing or even if I'll be going" she stated as she focused on the food.

Once she cleaned up the food and put everything away, she started to wipe down the island and clean everything up. She got the gift bags for the kids and some of the candy from the piñata. Nina looked from Kelly to her ex-sister-in-law. She couldn't believe her brother. Knowing him, he probably just forgot about it.

That night, Mia left everything else and just went to bed. Katie was sprawled up on her bed fast asleep. She was exhausted from all her birthday fun. Kelly was in the similar position. He was lying flat on the bed on his stomach curling a pillow.

Mia stripped into a pair of boxers and a t-shirt before getting into bed. She cuddled into him and laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his waist. "Katie had fun today" she said as she drew patterns on his shoulder. He laid his head in the crook of her neck. "Yeah, she loved being the center of attention" he teased.

Mia couldn't help but laugh, "just like someone else I know" she jibed back. He chuckled and nodded back, "I don't disagree" he replied.

She just nodded and continued to draw patterns on his back. "Nina was telling me about the dress she bought for the firefighter's ball" she said and waited. She heard him groan and turn so he could face her. He cupped her cheek, "I totally forgot to ask you, but of course I want you to go with me. Come on Mia, you are my girl. I love you" he said before thinking about it.

Kelly noticed Mia freeze. She looked at him shocked. "You love me?" she asked. He didn't say anything. He sat up and pulled her to sit in his lap and really looked her. He cupped her face, "Mia, since I was 16 I knew I loved you. You were the only girl for me and that hasn't changed. You are and always will be Severide's Girl, okay. And if someone has a problem with that, they can take it up with me" he said.

**With credit to **AprilC3604 for her idea from _No Life After You_ concept in this section of the chapter!

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Severide's Girl huh?" she couldn't keep the smile off her face. He nodded and leant forward to rest his forehead against hers, "always and forever, pretty girl" he closed the gap between them and brushed his lips against hers.

She sighed and pulled him closer to let her tongue battle with his. He groaned and pulled her closer. "Mia" he laid her down and crawled on top of her with a smile on his face. This felt right. It felt normal.

He ran his fingers through her hair and deepened the kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. Kelly couldn't help his eyes rolling back into his head. He felt like he had been waiting for this moment for years. He was back in her arms and they were together.

He moved from her mouth down to her neck. He started at the point below her ear and nipped. She moaned and couldn't help but arch off the bed. "Kelly" she moaned. Kelly froze. At this point in the past, they would usually stop but she didn't look like she was stopping anytime soon.

Kelly pulled the edge of her shirt down and started to leave kisses on her shoulder and down to the tops of her breasts. Mia ran her fingers through his hair and held him in place. Her senses were on overdrive. Kelly was acting like a starved man and Mia was his meal ticket. He was trying to kiss every part of her exposed skin as possible.

She pulled away from him and just stared up at him. He looked at her questioningly, but she just smiled. She unbuttoned his shirt with her gaze on his. He pulled back on his knees and pulled off his shirt, while she pulled hers off.

Their lips met again and she smiled against him as she snaked her hand down his chest to the waist line of his boxers and pulled them down. Kelly pulled hers off, with her arching a little to help him get them off. He reached behind her and undid the clasp of her bra. He kept her gaze as he slowly slid the straps down her shoulders and threw it behind him.

She just laid there completely naked in front of the man she has loved since she was 16 years old. She should feel self-conscious, but she didn't. She felt comfortable. He leant over her and framed her face. He kissed her a little smiling as she caressed his cheeks.

"You are the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes on" he said as he leant forward to give her another kiss. She smiled, "you're not so bad yourself" she replied with a moan as he ran his hands over her breasts. "I'm glad you think so" he added with a slight smirk.

She couldn't even formulate a coherent sentence with all the pleasure she was feeling. Kelly took advantage of her silence and moved his lips from her neck to the edge of her breasts. He took her nipple into his mouth and smirked against her skin as she arched off the bed. Her back bowed so high, she thought it would snap in half.

"Kelly" she moaned, trying to keep quiet. She didn't want to wake Katie.

"I have wanted you for so long, you have no idea how long I have waited to be with you again" he whispered in her ear.

She smiled and kissed the shell of his ear. "Not as long as I have waited to be with you" she pulled him up to face her.

"I love you so much" she kissed him.

Kelly moved himself between her legs and really look at her before anything. "Are you sure?" he asked. Mia smiled, she knew he was barely holding on as it and she loved that he made himself stop to ask her if she was sure. He really did love her.

"I am more than sure. Just be gentle okay, it's been a while for me" she replied. He nodded and took everything in. He really didn't want to do anything to mess it up, so he made himself go slow.

He kissed her as he slid into her. He stopped and let her adjust to his size. He didn't want to push her to hard. She arched up and pressed her hips closer to his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips. She nodded, "it is okay. Move, please move" she begged. She hadn't felt this good in a really long time.

She looked up at him with a smile on her face. He leant forward and brought his lips to hers. She pulled him closer to her and moved slower with him and let her tongue tangle into his. She wrapped her hands in his hair to keep him where he was.

They only parted their lips for air, but stayed close, as he rested his forehead against hers. He kept her gaze and he saw her eyes glaze over. He knew she was close, at this point, he was beyond ready, so he nodded against her.

"Let go Mia" he grunted. He couldn't hold it back anymore and slumped forward as they both fell over the edge together. Kelly had the most power release he ever had. He literally just fell on her and gasped for breath.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him and held him close. "Wow" she said. He laughed and pulled up onto his elbows and gave her a sloppy wet kiss. "Thank you for letting me back into your heart Mia" he was serious.

She caressed his hair, "You have always been in my heart Kelly" she replied. "Good, you and our daughter are always in mine" he agreed.

**Written with ideas from: **Miss Meggie. Thanks so much for your contribution.

They were so tired, they just passed out in each other's arms. The next morning, around 4 am, Mia heard some things downstairs. She looked around and didn't notice anything. Kelly didn't seem to notice anything, he was fast asleep, and so, Mia decided to check it out for herself.

She untangled herself from Kelly's arms and put on his t-shirt. It came down to her thigh, so she put on some of his boxers and slowly crept down the hall. She checked her daughter's room first and she was still asleep, so she continued downstairs.

She walked downstairs and grabbed the pick from the fire place. She held it out in front of her and walked to the bottom of the stairs. She looked around and didn't see anything. She looked at the doorway and saw a man coming in with a duffel bag.

By this time, Kelly had noticed that Mia was missing from bed. He looked around the room and didn't see her, so he figured he would check Katie's room. He put on a pair of sweats and made his way to check on his daughter. He saw Katie asleep, so he grabbed the bat from the hallway closet and made his way downstairs.

Mia froze. Her fight or flight reactions kicked in and she got defensive. "AHHH! KELLY!" she screamed. She heard his footsteps coming from behind her, so she focused on the task at hand. She pointed the pick at the intruder.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked.

"Me, you are the intruder here" he retorted.

Kelly came rushing down after hearing Mia scream for him. "MIA!" he ran down the stairs and stood behind her, "hey, are you okay?" he asked as he came swinging. He took in her attire, and the pick in her hand and looked to the intruder to put the bat down and let out a stressed breath.

"Dad, what the hell are you doing here? Mia, it is okay. It's my dad" he said.

Mia put down the pic and looked over Benny. She hadn't seen him in years. "Sorry sweetheart, you changed since the last time I saw you" he said opening his arms.

Mia chuckled and gave him a little hug before shrinking back behind Kelly. "It's okay Benny. Good to see you again. I am just going to run upstairs and grab a pair of sweatpants" she blushed as she turned and ran up the stairs.

"Don't worry babe, he's seen plenty of girls with less on coming out of my room" Kelly teased. "Shut up Severide!" she called back before running into her room.

Kelly waited until she was out of earshot before turning to his dad, "so what are you doing here dad? It's been almost 3 months since I talked to you" he asked.

"I am being honored at the firefighter's ball on Friday" he replied.

Kelly nodded, "I see, so you decided it would be a good idea for you to come to my house at 4 in the morning and break in. You could have woken up my daughter" Kelly was angry. He was trying to keep it calm.

"I'm sorry son, I really am. I just needed a place to stay and I thought that maybe I could use the couch for a few days" he asked.

Mia, who had been listening on the stairs smiled. She knew this was hard for Kelly. She walked down loudly and stood next to Kelly. She put her hand around his back. He looked down at her and crossed his arms across his chest.

"No" Kelly said, both Mia and Benny looking at him surprised, "Kelly!" Mia gasped. She was not expecting that. She thought for sure he would let him stay.

"No, you can't stay on the couch. We have a guest room, but this is technically Mia's house" Kelly said looking at Mia. She hit his shoulder and turned to smile at Benny. "Of course you are welcome anytime Benny" she walked over to give him a hug.

"Are you hungry or need anything Benny?" she asked. He smiled at her enthusiasm, "no sweetheart, thank you. I am fine, just tired from the drive" he replied.

She nodded, "okay then, I'll go get the guest room ready. We might as well get some more sleep before Katie wakes up and I have to start cleaning up" she said running upstairs and into the guest room.

She grabbed some blankets and pillows and set up the bed for him. She wasn't really expecting guests, but she liked to keep the room nice and clean. She just needed to fix the bed for him.

Once Mia was out of sight, Benny turned to Kelly, "she really seems pretty excited to have me here" he commented.

Kelly couldn't help but smile, "yeah she gets like that with lost causes. Me not so much. Don't think I forgot that you didn't show up to my daughter's birthday party when you said you wanted a chance to be in my life. That was it. Just know that it's going to be harder for you now" Kelly warned.

Benny nodded, "I get it Kelly. I want a chance to get to know you and your sister again. I missed you growing up and now you have a family of your own. You have your own lives. I just want a chance to get to know you all" he replied.

Kelly nodded and led him up to the guest room. Mia was fluffing some pillows when they walked in. "Everything ready?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah we are all set. Benny if you need anything else, just let me know. The bathroom is right across the hall. We're down the hall and Katie is in the room next to you" Mia said.

"Thank you sweetheart. I'm perfect the way I am" he replied.

She nodded, "if you need anything, just let me know. Have a good night" she said before going back to her room, giving Kelly a minute with his dad. "We'll see you in the morning dad" he added before following her out.

He walked into her room to see Mia sitting on the bed waiting for him. He got on the bed and crawled into her and laid back so Mia laid on his chest. "How are you handling this Kelly? How are you feeling?" she asked. She knew this had to be hard for him.

"I don't know. I think I am madder than anything. I mean, it's been 3 months since I invited him back into my life and he decided to just take his time and walk back into my life. It's not on his terms, it's on mine" he vented.

She nodded, "I know Kelly. I know this is going to be hard for you, but you have to make sure that you take advantage of the time you have with him. We both know how it feels to lose a parent. Don't waste the chance to get to know the one you have left" she comforted.

"Yeah I know you're right but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy" he replied.

She smiled and leaned up and supported herself on his chest. "I never said it was going to be easy lieutenant, but I am sure you are capable of handling it" she teased.

He leaned up and captured her lips with his. She moaned and pulled up so she was face to face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and played with the hair on the nape of his neck. He trailed his arms up the back of her spine, pulling her shirt (his shirt) up with him. She stopped him, pulling back before it could get too far.

"We cannot do this with your dad in the next room. No way" she said.

He groaned and flung his head back, "are you serious? Come on, he won't hear anything, please?" he practically begged.

She couldn't help but laugh, "what are you, five? We are not doing anything remotely sexual with your dad here. It would be too weird" she replied.

"Damn, it's been over 10 years since my dad cock-blocked me" he groaned.

She laughed and hit him over the chest. "Kelly!" she squealed.

**HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH**

_**6am**_

Both Kelly and Mia were passed out when the phone rang.

RING! RING!

Kelly heard it first. He groaned and reached over Mia to grab the phone off the bedside table. "Hello" he greeted.

"Kelly, it's your sister. I need to talk to Mia" Nina said over the phone. She was freaking out.

_Nina and Jeff were asleep when she got up to get ready for her day. She was supposed to be helping at the desk in ER. She was supposed to be training the new girl on the new hospital system._

_When she walked into the bathroom to get ready and shower she noticed some blood on her underwear. She hasn't been feeling well the past few days and she knew something was not right. Usually it wouldn't be a big deal, but she didn't have her period and she's a nurse. She knew when something was wrong and it was wrong._

_She looked back into the room and noticed Jeff still asleep, so she didn't want to bother him. She didn't want to make a big of this, so instead of waking him up or going to ask someone in the hospital to check on it for her, she did the next big thing._

_She called Mia to have her help her. She wasn't expecting her brother to answer the phone. She froze._

"_Hello" Kelly answered._

"_Kelly, its Nina. I need to talk to Mia" she replied._

Kelly froze with worry. Nina wouldn't call this early and ask for Mia if something wasn't wrong. "Nina, what's going on?" he asked waking up a little more.

_Nina could hear the worry in Kelly's voice. She felt bad and knew her brother was worried about her, but she really couldn't deal with this with her brother. She just needed to talk to Mia. She really needed her help._

Kelly was freaking out but he could tell that she needed Mia's help. He didn't know what to do and how to help her, so turned and shook Mia awake. Mia groaned and looked up, worry clouding her eyes as she noticed the look on Kelly's face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He just handed her the phone, not knowing anything else to really do. Mia was the one who could really help her.

"Hello" Mia took the phone from him. She didn't know what to expect. He didn't say anything, he just gave her the phone.

_Nina sighed in relief when Mia answered the phone. "Mia, it's me Nina. I need your help. You know I haven't been feeling good the past few days. I woke up this morning and found blood on my underwear. I've felt faint and dizzy the past few days and I am freaking out" she informed._

Mia took in all the information and nodded. She could tell that everyone around her was freaking out. "Okay, don't freak out. I'll meet you at the ER. I'll call Grace and have her meet us there" she said.

"_Okay, I'll meet you there" Nina said as she threw on a sweatshirt, grabbed her badge and her purse before leaving a note for Jeff and leaving to the ER. _

Mia hung up the phone and jumped out of bed. She put on some sweats, a t-shirt, a sweatshirt and searched the room for her badge. "Mia, what's going on? Is Nina okay?" he asked. Mia smiled, "she's fine. She just needs my help at the hospital with something," she said before leaning over and giving him a little kiss, "I'll see you later" she reassured him.

She grabbed her keys and made her way to the hospital. She was internally freaking out but she knew he had to keep a straight face. She needed to be strong for Nina right now.

Once she got to the ER, she saw Grace waiting for her at the desk. "Okay, what's going on? Did Nina call you?" she asked. "Yeah, she told me she was spotting and feeling faint and dizzy all week" she replied.

"Okay, Jake, let's get Trauma bay 3 ready for a general trauma call. Let's page Dr. Richards and have her meet us here. Nina is coming in and we need to be ready for everything and anything" Mia said.

Jake went to check the board. He knew they had to keep this under wraps. Nina didn't want her business all over the hospital. "Mia, all the trauma rooms are full. I also wanted to give you a heads up, Scott is running the ER today. He's going to want to know what's going on" Jake said.

Mia let out a stressed breath, "damn, okay. You let me deal with Scott. Let's get everything set up in my office. We'll have Nina go in there. We want to keep this on the down low. Keep everything quiet. Set it up and page me when Nina gets here" she informed before running down the hall.

She walked straight into the ER and grabbed Scott, "Excuse us," she said to the doctors he was talking too and pushed him into an empty supply closet. It was the closest thing they had for privacy and she was pressed for time.

"Hey, I thought you were off today, but since you are here we all pitched in and got Katie a little gift" he informed. Even though they broke up, they still tried to be civil with each other and professional since they worked together. It would be weird to be friends, but they could at least be as close to friends as possible.

"That's nice Scott, but I am not here for that. Listen, something is going on with my patient and I need to keep it private. I need to be doing things like test and scans and stuff, but I need to keep it quiet. Don't ask, don't tell okay? If you have ever felt anything for me, then please just do this for me" she explained the situation.

He was really confused and wanted to help, but he didn't want to push. He could tell this was serious for her. He knew she was capable of it and he knew she wouldn't be asking him for this if it wasn't important for her. "Okay, I'll be around if you need me" he said.

She nodded in gratitude and reached down to answer her pager. "Great, thanks. I'll see you later" she said before running out. Jake had paged her, so she knew that Nina was there. Jake led her into Mia's office and go her set up on the couch in Mia's office. They had the ultrasound machine, bloodwork tray and Grace on standby.

Mia ran into the room and got comfortable. She took off her coat, tied up her hair, and grabbed her gloves. She walked over to the couch and knelt on the couch next to Nina.

"Okay, tell me what's going on?" she said.

Nina had tears running down her cheeks. "It hurts so bad right now in my lower abdomen. I think my abdomen is distended. I've felt dizzy, faint, nauseas and I noticed some spotting this morning when I woke up. I am freaking out Mia. I don't know what's going on" she freaked.

She nodded and took everything in. Grace was writing everything down for Mia to look at and compare with everything. "Okay, let me double check your abdomen and we'll run some tests to make sure everything is okay" she started.

Nina nodded and took her sweatshirt and shirt off. She leaned back and waited as Mia checked her stomach. Whenever Mia pressed down at certain parts of Nina's stomach, she could tell when Nina really felt a lot of pain. She felt how distended and hard her abdomen felt.

"Okay, your abdomen is really distended and I can tell you are in a lot of pain. Let's get an IV started. I don't want you to get dehydrated if you are throwing up. Is there any chance you could be pregnant?" Mia asked.

Nina looked at her shocked. The thought didn't even cross her mind. "I don't know. I mean we aren't trying to get pregnant, but there's always the possibility" she replied.

Mia nodded, "then let's add a pregnancy test to the full chem panel and CBC, cultures and urinalysis. Since there is a possibility of pregnancy, let's wait on the blood work before we scan her" Mia instructed.

Grace wrote down all the orders and they got to work. After 10 minutes of being poked and prodded, Nina was exhausted. She closed her eyes and prayed to God that everything was okay with her. She couldn't handle something being wrong.

Mia had the same thoughts going through her mind. She sat at her desk watching Nina rest on her couch. She looked pale and sick. She only hoped that nothing was seriously wrong. She could feel it there, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. She only hoped she could handle it and be strong enough to take care of it.

When Kelly woke up two hours later, worry was the first thing he felt. He wanted to find out what was going on with his sister, but he didn't want to freak out his dad. He didn't know how Nina would feel if Benny were to know something was wrong with her, but Kelly didn't really have a choice.

If something was really wrong with his sister, he needed to be able to leave Katie with Benny and get to the hospital. He needed to be there for his sister. She's helped him through so much, he needed to be there for her.

It also freaked him out, how scared she sounded when she called that morning. He could hear the worry and fear in her voice when she asked for Mia. The fact that she was scared, being as tough and skilled as she was as a nurse, had him more panicked. The terrified looked on Mia's face after her phone call with Nina only confirmed his thoughts. Something was really wrong.

He knew neither Nina nor Mia wanted him to worry, but he couldn't help it. As a big brother and a dad, it was his responsibility to worry about the ones he cared about most and Nina was at the top of the list.

He quietly got dressed, grabbed his phone and made his way to the guest room. His dad was in the middle of putting on a shirt when Kelly knocked quietly and walked in.

Benny knew something was wrong right away. The look on Kelly's face was enough to worry anyone, and his son didn't scare easy, so he knew it was bad.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I need you to stay with Katie for a few hours. I need to go to the hospital and be with Mia and Nina. Nina called this morning and Mia left to help her at the hospital. She didn't say anything was wrong, but I know it is because I know my sister and she sounded scared. I need to be there to find out what's up" he said.

Benny nodded, "don't worry about Katie. We'll be fine here. You go be with your sister and please, I know I have no right to ask this, but please keep me updated. I want to make sure Nina is okay. She's my little girl" he replied.

It took Kelly a mental count to 10 to remain calm at the statement. He didn't have time to be angry, he needed to get to Nina. "Thank you" he replied before walking out of the room.

He detoured into Katie's room and smiled at the sight. She was fast asleep curled up with her monkey 51. He knelt by the head of her bed and kissed her forehead. "Good morning baby girl, daddy loves you" he said before kissing her head one more time.

He wrote her a little note telling her who Benny was and to wait for him or Mia to come back and to call him or anyone from the firehouse if she had any problems. He didn't want her to freak out when she woke up and found Benny in her house.

Katie woke up an hour later. She looked on her dresser and saw her dad's note. She was expecting Benny when she walked downstairs.

"Hi" she greeted.

Benny turned from the stove. He was making breakfast for them. "Hi, I'm your grandpa Benny. Your dad and your mom had to run an errand, so you're going to hang out with me until they get back" he informed.

She nodded and sat on the island, "I know. Daddy left me a note so I wouldn't get scared when I woke up and you were here. I don't technically know you remember?" she replied.

Benny couldn't help but laugh, "you are just like your father" he commented.

Kate smiled at him. She may not have known him, but she was glad to have two grandpas, and this one was growing on her. "That's what mama says too" she agreed.

**MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM**

**Clarke parts**

_Kelly parts_

**NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN**

On the way to the hospital, Kelly called Clarke. He figured if anyone knew what was going on with Nina besides his girlfriend, it would be him.

**Clarke was still asleep when he heard the phone ring. At first he thought it was for Nina to get up and get to the hospital. She set reminder alarms on her phone all the time. "Nina" he groaned. When the ringing continued, he turned around to shake her awake, but didn't find her there. **

**He instantly became on high alert. He picked up the phone thinking, hoping it was her and she was okay. "Nina" he answered.**

_Kelly frowned, "No, it's Severide. Nina called Mia's this morning and something is wrong. Mia bolted out of the house and to the hospital like a bat out of hell. I was calling to see if you knew what was up?" Kelly informed._

**Clarke was even more confused and more worried. He had no idea what was going on. He did know that if Nina had called for backup then Kelly was right and something was really wrong. He knew his girlfriend. She wouldn't want to bother anyone until she knew what was happening.**

"**I didn't know, I just woke up. I turned to wake Nina up but she was gone. If she called Mia, then she needed backup for something. There is definitely something up with her. I'll get dressed and meet you at the hospital" Clarke replied. He wanted to be there for his girl.**

_Kelly knew Clarke was right. Whenever the girls were in trouble, needing help, but not wanting to bother the guys, they turned to each other. It freaked the boys out even more because both Mia and Nina are medical professionals. They wouldn't make a big deal out of nothing._

"_Okay, I'll see you there" Kelly stated before racing to the hospital._

Meanwhile, in Mia's office, they were finally getting some answers. Nina's blood work had come back from the lab. Grace handed Mia the results and sat next to Nina's feet on the couch. They were running vitals on her every 15 minutes to keep her monitored. Her blood pressured was already high, they didn't need anything else going wrong.

"Your HCG levels are high and the pregnancy test came back positive" Mia informed cautiously. She knew neither Nina nor Clarke had talked about kids with each other. Neither were ready for them. They were hoping to be married and settled into life together first before talking about a family

"I'm pregnant" Nina whispered to herself, trying to get it to really sink in. She really couldn't believe it.

"Let's do an ultrasound to make sure" she replied as Jake wheeled the portable US machine over. He set up the monitor and wand before handing it to Mia. Grace put some towels around the couch and Nina's clothes, so they wouldn't get dirty.

"Alright, let's see what we got here" Mia began the exam. She moved the wand over Nina's lower abdomen, where you would expect to see an embryo and sure enough, after a few minutes of looking and adjusting the image they found what they were looking for.

Mia smiled at Nina, "Congratulations" she confirmed Nina's fears.

The only thing Nina could do was cry. She didn't know why she was crying, but everything was just hitting her at once and that's the only way she could express it.

Grace wiped her stomach of the gel and helped her sit up. Mia wrapped her in hug. She knew this was overwhelming. "I know this is a lot to take it, especially when you weren't expecting it, but don't worry. We are all here for you and this is good news. You and Jeff are going to be great parents" Mia comforted as she pulled away and wiped Nina's tears.

"We never talked about having a family so soon. What if he doesn't want this baby? What if he doesn't want me anymore?" Nina feared. That was her biggest fear. For Jeff to leave her or for something to happen to the people she loved. She didn't want to be alone.

"Then Kelly will kick his ass" Mia joked.

That got Nina to laugh. She knew her brother would be there for her. He always had her back, no matter what she got herself into.

"I can't believe I'm going to be a mom" Nina said aloud.

"You're going to be what?"

They all turned around to see Jeff and Kelly standing in the doorway of Mia's office, shock on their faces.

**NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN**

Kelly got to the hospital first, Clarke pulling in right next to him. "Any news?" Jeff asked as he got out of the car.

Kelly shook his head, "nothing" he replied as they walked into the hospital. They were walking like Marine's on a mission. They had a target, a strategy to get to their target and they weren't letting anyone or anything get in their way.

Kelly figured the first place they should look was Mia's office. That was the best place he could think of that they would be.

When they got close to the office, they heard Nina crying and Mia saying,"_Then Kelly will kick his ass." _ They looked at each other confused, having missed the first part of the conversation, ready to walk in and demanding answers.

Both froze when they heard Nina reply, "I can't believe I'm going to be a mom"

It was like the breath was kicked out of Clarke. "You're going to be what?" Kelly asked his sister. He couldn't have heard that right, right?

Mia got up to stand next to Kelly, while Clarke just stood where he was and stared at Nina. He was trying to process what she said and what that meant for them.

He raked his gaze over her, stopping at her flat stomach. She still had her shirt off, so her stomach was exposed.

"_I'm going to be a mom"_

"_I'm going to be a mom"_

The phrase kept repeating over and over again in his mind. He couldn't believe it. He felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and pride as he looked at her stomach. That was his baby in there. He made that.

"_I'm going to be a dad"_

"_Nina's pregnant"_

The reality of the situation was finally starting to process for him.

She stood up, having noticed the look of shock on his face. She was afraid of his reaction. He wasn't saying anything.

"Jeff" she called, bringing him back to reality.

He let his gaze wander back up her form to gaze in her eyes. He could see the fear and he knew it was fear of rejection. He had to act fast.

He took two long strides into the office and right up to wrap her in his arms and hold her tight against his chest. Nina and Mia both let out a breath. Mia knew that Jeff would be happy about this. She was really happy for them. They were going to be great parents.

Kelly smiled and wrapped his arms around Mia. She smiled up at him and leaned up to give him a little kiss.

Jeff pulled away a little and gave Nina a little kiss before leaning down and kissing her stomach. He looked up at her with the biggest grin on his face. "I love you so much Nina" he said. She let out a choked sob and pulled him up to cry in his chest.

"Are you okay with this? I know we haven't talked about it really, and I don't want you to think I was trying to get pregnant to trap you or any…" she was cut off by Jeff's lips connecting with hers.

It was the only way he knew how to get her to stop worrying and relax a little. Once he felt her give in a little, he licked her bottom lip, thrusting his tongue into her awaiting mouth. Nina moaned and stood up on her tip toes to wrap her arms around his neck and face him better.

"UHM UHM" Kelly cleared his throat loudly. Sure he was happy for his sister, but that didn't mean he needed to see her and Clarke sucking face. He liked to remain oblivious to the physical part of their relationship.

Jeff pulled away first with a smile and kissed her cheek, "don't worry okay, I don't know how yet, but everything is going to be fine. We are going to be fine" he said.

She nodded and rested her head against his chest. Ignoring all the logistics of the situation for a minute and letting his calming force overpower her running mind.

"Congratulations Nina"

"We are really happy for you"

Jake and Grace said before they gracefully bowed out. They wanted to give the family time to themselves to celebrate and take everything in. It was big news.

Kelly walked over and pulled his sister in a hug. She couldn't help the tears flow all over again. All she ever wanted to do was make Kelly proud of her. He raised her, he was the mom, the dad, the brother, he was always there for her and she wanted to do right by him.

"I love you Nina. I am so happy for you. I am so proud of you. You have accomplished so much and now I know that you are going to be a great mother" he said. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Thank you Kelly, you have always been there for me" she replied.

He chuckled, "and I always will be. I told you the first time you told me you and Clarke were a couple that I would always be there for you. Just because you aren't 16 anymore and you are going to be a mom, that's not going to change. I'm not going anywhere" he reassured. He would always be there for his sister.

Mia laughed, "Uh oh, watch out Clarke, you make one wrong move and you're toast" she teased.

Kelly growled slightly protective, "don't you forget that either" he said, which got everyone laughing.

**NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN**

**Time jump- 1 week, Christmas dinner**

Nina had reacted surprising calmly when Kelly told her that their dad was back in town. She was civil, but that didn't mean she trusted him. She could tell that Kelly was trying, so she promised to try for her brother's sake. She wanted to keep the baby a secret until Christmas dinner. She figured it would be the perfect time to tell everyone at once.

Since the boys were working on Christmas day, everyone gathered at Mia's for Christmas Eve dinner. It was beautiful. Mia, Dawson, Shay and Nina spent the whole day cooking and decorating. They wanted to help Mia get everything ready for dinner.

Nina and Shay took control of the decorating. Nina just told Jeff where to go and what to do, while Shay put Kelly in charge of helping Katie decorate the tree. The townhouse looked like a Christmas wonderland.

There were tinsel, candles, Santa's, garland, presents everywhere. It didn't matter where you turned, you were reminded of the holidays. The best part was the family. Everyone was there. The firehouse family, the hospital family and each individual family.

Kelly stood in the kitchen, looking at everyone scattered around the house and shook his head. He didn't think they even knew that many people, but it was great. Growing up just him and Nina, and now seeing all these people he considered family, it was a totally different experience.

He wasn't much for holiday cheer, usually picking up extra shifts or spending the time with Nina, Kelly didn't really do anything special for the holidays. They used to remind him of everything he lost in his life. His mom to cancer, his wife and now his daughter.

This holiday was special. Kelly took one look at Mia playing hostess, or the grin on Katie's face as she interacted with everyone and played with her cousins and he knew this is what happy felt like. He didn't think he could be any happier than he was in that moment surrounded by family.

Everyone gathered around the tables in the living room/dining room for dinner. Kelly stood up and raised his glass, "Alright everyone, we all know I don't like giving speeches or anything really sappy and mushy, but this needs to be said so listen up" he started.

The guys laughing while Mia smacked his arm, "Kelly" she warned under her breath. He smiled at her, "first I want to start by thanking Mia for making this wonderful dinner and planning this night for all of us. She wanted us to be together to celebrate Christmas since we are all going to be in different places tomorrow," he stopped while everyone cheered and rose their glass, so he could have a minute and sneak her a quick kiss.

"Second, I just want to say thank you to everyone here. Growing up, the holidays were pretty depressing, just Nina and I celebrating alone. Now I look around the room and it's filled with friends and family. There is nothing more a guy could ask for Christmas than being surrounded by his family, so I just wanted to say thank you for being part of my family and Merry Christmas" he finished.

Everyone clinked glasses and cheered with each other. Kelly sat down and gave Mia a kiss, "Merry Christmas baby" he said. She smiled and pulled Katie into her lap so they could both give him hugs and kisses, "Merry Christmas Kelly," she replied.

Katie crawled into her daddy's lap and kissed his cheek, "Merry Christmas daddy, thank you for my present" she said. He looked at her confused. They didn't open presents yet, so she had no idea what he got her.

"What are you talking about monkey?" he asked.

"Yay kiddo, we haven't opened presents yet" Matt added.

She shook her head, "no not that kind of present. Daddy gave my present when I came to Chicago and I found you all. I went from having no daddy, only two uncles and one aunt to having a whole bunch of uncles and aunts. Santa gave me a family for Christmas and it is like daddy said, it's the best gift anyone could ask for" she replied.

The girls wiping tears from their eyes, Mia leaned forward to kiss her daughter. "I love you princess" she said. "Love you too mama" she responded.

Nina stood up, "on the note of being mushy and sappy, I have an announcement" she said. She smiled down at Clarke before looking around the table.

"Me and Clarke are having a baby. I'M PREGNANT!" she squealed the last part laughing with joy when cheers and congratulations arouse from everyone.

"I knew he had it in him" Hermann teased.

"Shut up Hermann, that's my sister" Kelly retorted.

Mia laughed at their antics and rose her glass, "Happy Holiday's everyone" she announced.

"HAPPY HOLIDAYS" resounded from everyone.

**HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH**

**YAY! So Nina and Clarke are pregnant. Benny is back for the firefighter's ball. Mia and Kelly reunited and are a family again. Wow, a lot going on.**

**Please review and let me know what you think and what you are looking forward to happening!**


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